A careless wish
by millenium-writer
Summary: Using her refunded wish from Heaven, Ukyo Kuonji has decided to travel between worlds, looking for the one person ment to be with her. Now, stuck jumping from reality to reality at Heaven's whim, she's about to learn; Be careful what you wish for. Sequel.
1. Chapter 1

"One two three, take my hand and come with me, 'cuz you look so fine that I really wanna make you mine."

"Um, Ran-ch... Er, Ranma?"

"I said you look so fine that I really wanna make you mine. Four five six-"

"RANMA! Stop the stupid singing and help me with this mob!" Growling, Ukyo Kuonji yanked the headphones off of Ranma Saotome, heir to the school of 'Anything Goes Martial Arts and Karaoke' and kicked another rioter in the face.

Apparently, somebody had said that Elvis was _not_ the King of rock and roll, and a few other people had taken offense.

Ukyo let out a sigh. _I hate this world already. Why does this one revolve around music anyway? What's 'Lunar inspired' supposed to mean? I can't WAIT until my next jump._ Shaking her head, Ukyo spun around and blocked a thrown bottle with the flat of her battle spatula. "Eep!" Completing her turn, she thwacked aside a trio of rioters, grabbed Ranma by the back of his shirt, and lept clear over the crowd.

"Wah!"

This Ranma was even younger than the one before, barely hitting his teens. The private thrill of being more skilled than Ranma faded once she realized that _she_ had to be the one to do all the fighting and protecting now. Shaking her head, Ukyo set the younger boy down and hefted her spatula in both hands. _Now I know why Mato was cranky all the time. Taking care of a bunch of people weaker than you is tiring work._

Most of the rioters hadn't been able to track just where the two teens had got to, so they resorted to default. Sadly, default in a mob ment that you attacked the nearest person next to you.

_I can't take much more of this, I'm going to go crazy if I-_

"Saotome you tuneless dog!"

"Kuno!"

"I shall utterly crush you at the battle of the bands, and prove once and for all that all you do is lip synch."

"Rrr, that's it! You're going down Kuno!"

It was time for the showdown of the day. A pity it boiled down to what appeared to be a karaoke contest.

Clapping her hands over her ears, Ukyo growled under her breath. Between the two idiots, all she could make out were disjointed clusters of words that made no sense at all. _Argh! All I wanted was someone to be mine. Why on EARTH do I have to suffer like this?_ "SHUT UP! Stop the damn singing or I'll kick you both through a wall!"

Everything went deadly quiet. The entire mall had frozen in place and was staring at Ukyo.

"You stupid jackasses, aren't you men? Don't you have any pride as martial artists? Stop the stupid singing, go outside, and kick each other's asses already!" Flinging her arms up into the air, Ukyo stomped off in a huff. "God!"

"...She's right you know."

"About the singing?"

"About everything!"

"...I see."

Staring at each other for a moment, Kuno and Ranma stood there quietly, until Ranma cocked back an arm, and punched Kuno square in the face. The crowd went nuts at that point, circling around the pair as they pounded on each other in a fantastic display of martial prowess.

Pop!

-

Shaking her head, Ukyo looked around, feeling a little dazed. "Ugh, where am I now?" Putting a hand to her face for a moment, she tried to make sure her eyeballs weren't spinning wildly in their sockets like it _felt_ like they were. _All I had to do that time was stop the stupid singing? I'm starting to really hate the hitch this dimensional travelling stuff comes with. _Sighing, Ukyo slung her spatula over her shoulder and looked around again, trying to get her bearings.

She was standing in the middle of the yard, facing the Tendo dojo. She knew it was the Tendo's place, because Ranma and Kuno were fighting in the middle of the dojo, both of them looking really pissed off. Akane was laying off to the side, her head at an awkward angle. She wasn't moving, either.

Also, the dojo was on fire.

Sighing, Ukyo shook her head and walked out into the street. She didn't want to get involved with this mess, if she had a choice about it. A little ways away, Shampoo and Mousse were also fighting, right out in the middle of the street. _I guess Mousse and Ranma teamed up together, and everything just went wrong._ Frowning, Ukyo paused in mid-step. _Huh._ Beneath the crushed remains of a compact car, a pair of legs were sticking out.

Legs in dark tights.

Using her spatula as a lever, she tipped the car off it's side, letting it flop over onto it's roof. Somewhere, Ukyo was aware of someone gasping, and she heard her battle spatula clatter to the ground. It took her a moment to gather her wits, and she realized that it was _her_ that had gasped.

Understandable, considering she was staring at her own dead body.

"Ghhh..." Swallowing, Ukyo sucked in a few deep breaths, clamped a hand over her stomach, and forced herself to relax. She willed her stomach to stop churning so wildly, and eventually, it did. She was slowly getting used to seeing horrifying things. She'd seen Mato nearly get decapitated, lose an eye, and finally die. It didn't get much worse than that.

After collecting her wits, she reached out and began plucking spatulas out of the other girl's bandolier, sliding them into the loops on her own. The dimension before last she'd used up a lot of projectiles, and the chances to replace them came few and far between.

A sudden crash jolted her attention away from herself, her other self, rather.

Out in the street, Shampoo had kicked over a firetruck, pinning Mousse's legs.

_It must have been headed for the dojo._ Frowning, Ukyo stood up.

"Ha, Shampoo kill stupid Mousse now. Should never betray Shampoo."

"You sure talk big, for someone who's got that kid pinned."

"Who is talking? You come out and Shampoo kill!"

"Nah, I'm not in the mood."

"Coward! You is scared of Shampoo!"

"Ooooh, a tough girl, are you?"

"Is toughest!"

"Then let's just see if you can flip that firetruck back upright again... Wuss."

"Argh! Shampoo do, then kill you and stupid Mousse too!" Spinning on her heel, Shampoo shoved the battered fire engine back onto it's wheels with a little effort. Laughing to herself, apparently a little unhinged, she turned back around to address the mystery voice.

And took a battle spatula to the face.

"Ha, easy as cooking." Smirking, Ukyo slung her battle spatula over her shoulder and checked on both Chinese martial artists. _Both out cold. Good._ Thwacking her hand on the side of the truck, Ukyo stood up on tip-toe to peek into the window. "Hey! What are you waiting for? Get this stupid truck moving! The fire's not going to wait for you to show up!" As the truck pulled away, Ukyo quickly made her way _away_ from all the destruction, and plunked her butt down on a bench at a nearby bus stop.

"Phew." Fanning herself with a hand, Ukyo slouched on the bench, sticking her legs out. "I don't think I can take much more of this... How many worlds am I going to visit that don't even _have_ a Mato there?"

As if on cue, the world around Ukyo flickered once, before dissolving in a flashing display of bright lights.

In short, she disappeared.

-

And reappeared in the middle of a cake.

"Uhhh..."

For those of you who couldn't follow that, it shall be repeated.

Ukyo.

Was standing in the middle of a cake.

Fully dressed.

And covered in frosting from the knees down.

"Why am I standing in the middle of a cake? A _wedding_ cake?"

"...Because you're insane, and can't resist ruining our wedding?"

Ukyo blinked, staring at Nabiki Tendo, wearing a white wedding dress, and hanging off the arm of Ranma Saotome. "Wow, you really look terrible in a tux Ran-ch- er, Ranma."

Ranma, for his part, made a little strangled sort of noise. A cross between a whimper and a groan of terror.

"Why, Ukyo, are you ruining my wedding?" Nabiki planted one hand on her hip, and kept the other firmly locked around Ranma's arm.

"Uh..." Ukyo's brain locked up for a moment. _That's a good question. What do I say? What could I say? Isn't there anyone in all of creation that's ever delt with this? What would they do?_

The answer, all the answers, popped into her head in an instant.

_Be a jerk._

"Well Nabiki, what can I say?" Ukyo felt this warm little sensation sweep through her body, like the memory a sweet spring breeze flowing through her body. "You're a total bitch, and this is probably all just a scam to use Ranma to make money." _That jackass wouldn't stop there if I was him._ Hopping off of the cake, Ukyo looked around for a moment. _He'd be utterly relaxed, like he was ordering lunch._ Spotting a pile of napkins, Ukyo grabbed a few, and started wiping frosting off of her legs. "You'll probably give him a crappy honeymoon, then work him like a dog to crank out a chain of dojos across Japan."

Ranma let out another strangled noise, his eyes slowly moving to fix on Nabiki's face.

Nabiki looked like a deer caught in the headlights. She couldn't possibly believe that anyone had seen through her master plan so easily.

"Face it honey, you're only doing this for yourself." _What do I do now?_ Ukyo frowned, outwardly focusing on cleaning her legs off. _Keep going, right? Be just as big of a jerk as he was, and just rub her face in it._ A lopsided smirk settled onto Ukyo's face as she glanced over her shoulder at Nabiki. "Heh, you're better off just stayin' with that little runt you've got on the side." _No, nooo. Too much. Don't do the voice and the sloppy Japanese too._ It was a little hard to just keep pretending she was Mato, and continue to act like she wasn't utterly embaressed to be in such a situation, without copying his mannerisms too.

"Wh-wh-wh-WHAAAAT?" Nabiki looked like she was ready to explode. A combination of anger, guilt, and shame broiled nicely on a plate of shock, and was nearly done.

"Meh, whatever. Not my problem." Finished cleaning her tights off, Ukyo walked past the bride and groom. "Have fun explainin' to all the guests why you're cheatin' on Ranma." Tossing the wad of frosting coated napkins over her shoulder, Ukyo continued to smirk as they landed right where she'd aimed them.

Right in the middle of Nabiki's cleavage.

Shoving open the double doors, Ukyo stepped out of the banquet hall, and strode out into the warm air of a sunny summer day. _Ok, as horrifying as that was... It actually felt pretty... Good. Now I know why Mato was such a snarker. _Taking a moment to stretch her body out, Ukyo sighed and resumed walking down the street. _Ok, now all I have to do, is see if I can find someone who know's if there's a Mato in this reality. Piece of cake._

-

Meanwhile, back in Ukyo's dimension of origin...

"What the hell do you _mean_ you haven't seen Ukyo in over a week?!" Slamming Ranma Saotome, the heir to the school of anything goes martial arts, against the wall of the dojo, the guy who'd just shown up out of nowhere growled. He was a _very_ pissed off fellow in bright yellow, and it didn't help that Ranma looked like he'd seen a ghost.

Akane came charging into the dojo, brandishing a table like most would a baseball bat. "Who's making all the noi- eek!" The table slipped from Akane's grip, and thudded to the ground behind her, as she covered her mouth with both hands. She'd gone deathly pale, staring at the unnatural apparition before her, holding Ranma by the collar of his shirt. "Y-y-you're... Dead!"

"...Yeah." Tilting his head a little, the mystery guy frowned, staring at Akane for a moment. "I got better." He was Mato Hibiki, Ukyo's former personal Angel. Dimensional traveler, Demon slayer, honored foe of the Chinese Amazons, who'd given his life in their defense.

And he was _very_ pissed off. "Where's Ukyo?"

-

Well, that's the opening chapter. Hopefully, it does the job of hooking everyone in, and telling them just enough so they can get the gist of what's going on.

Or, maybe I just drove everyone away, who knows?

Anyway, for those of you wondering, yes, this is a sequel. Specifically, the sequel to the story 'Be careful what you wish for'. Actually, you all probably figured that one out a long time ago. The readers wanted to know what was going to happen after the last one ended, so... Here it is, in all it's short glory.

Readers of my other work should remember that the first two chapters or so are always shorted than all the others, as I get a feel for how the story should flow.

Those of you that are interested, can check out how the first story, and how all of this started by reading the first one.

Those of you who are lazy, shame on you, can simply ask me whatever questions you like, and I'll answer them as best I can.

... Or, I'll wave my hand, give you a half-answer, and evade the most telling part of the question. Ha!

Questions, comments, and what not are always welcome.

Until next chapter.

Oh! Right. Welcome all new readers, for those of you who are going to stick around for the long run. And welcome back to all the returning fans of the first one, who get to sit up front, and get first dibs on the good chairs and the snack cart. You know which one you are.


	2. Chapter 2

"What do you mean you got better? People don't get better from _being dead_!" Ranma's eyes bugged out of his head a little, as he flailed his arms. He was starting to freak out, a natural reaction when a dead guy is holding you by the collar.

"Well I do. Now where's Ukyo?"

Akane was still in shock, as was underst- ok, it's just freaky. Plain and simple.

"I keep telling you, I don't know!" Ranma had resorted to throwing jabs at Mato's face by this point, mainly because his brain kept rerunning the same thought over and over again. _Get the dead guy off get the dead guy off get the dead guy off get the dead guy off!_

"Do you _mind_?" If looks could kill, Mato's eyes would have drilled a pair of holes right through Ranma's head.

"S-sorry! Just leggo!"

"Fine."

With a thump, Ranma slid down the dojo wall and landed on his rump. His knuckles tingled faintly, like he'd spent the last few minutes punching solid stone. _What's his face made out of?_

Growling, Mato turned away and pinched the bridge of his nose. _Now's not the time to flip out._ "...You say you haven't seen Ukyo in a week. Then when- no, _where_ was the last place you saw her?"

"At school. She was walking home alone, like she always does."

"Tch."

There was a swish, and suddenly, Ranma and Akane were the only people in the dojo. "... That was freaky." Akane could only nod in reply.

Leaping from rooftop to rooftop, Mato grumbled inside his head, mentally kicking himself. _Stupid, stupid, sloppy. I should've checked there first, instead of going to the dojo. I'm not so damn green that I need to ask someone else to do my thinking for me._ He raced along, silently, ignoring the occasional stares of students heading home from school still. _Every second I waste, is another world she could be putting between us. Gotta move._ Bunching his legs, he put some force into his next leap, clearing a few blocks as he gracefully sailed through the air.

Touching down on the roof of the Ucchan, he flipped off the side, twisted, landed lightly, and pushed on the door. _Tch, locked, and bolted too._ Pressing his palm over the deadbolt, he closed his eyes. _I could just shove the door off of the hinges, easy, but..._ There was a faint click, as the bolt withdrew, and the door swung slowly inward. _This way is less destructive, and a hell of a lot quieter too._ Stepping inside, he nudged the door shut with his foot. _Even if my ability to perform it could be considered feeble, having telekinetics rocks. Worth every aneurysm I got trying to learn how to do it._

Smirking a little, Mato looked around the house as he walked through it. Not so much with his eyes, as with his other senses. _Kitchen, living room, dining room... All clear. Screw it, bedroom._ For a moment he stood staring at the door, thinking. _In I go._ Pushing the door open, he stepped inside and inhaled, breathing in the faint smell of dust. His nose told him that she had indeed been gone for roughly a week. _Her scent's faded that much._ Frowning, he walked over and crouched down, brushing his hand over the depression in the futon. Her scent was a little stronger there, and it lingered in his nostrils.

"...There." Looking up, he felt a hint of a tingle, just at the edge of the back of his brain. It was faint, but he could sense the point where the dimensional jump had been made. _I wonder which world she went to first? Someplace safe, hopefully._ Closing his eyes, Mato drew within for an instant, centering himself.

Then there was a bright flash, and he was gone.

-

"No, I'm not looking for Ryoga... Argh, shut up." Closing her eyes, Ukyo resisted the urge to slam the phone down and scream in frustration. "I'm looking for a guy who _looks_ like Ryoga, but he has a pigtail... NO! NOT RANMA! MA-TO. Got it? MA-TO. ARGH!"

WHAM.

Seething in silent fury, Ukyo clenched her hands and glared at the telephone. "I hate, I hate, I _hate_ stupid JACKASSES!" Pressing her fists to her face for a moment, she threw down her arms and screamed up at the heavens. "Why can't anyone in this world answer a simple damn question?!"

"...Um, excuse me? Do you know which way it is to the Saotome doj-"

Ukyo whirled around. "Go to hell Ryoga! Akane doesn't like you because you're too stupid to realize she loves Ranma!" Trembling from sheer rage, she stomped past the stunned Ryoga, pausing long enough to kick him in the shin _really hard_ before continuing on her way.

"Akane? I don't..." Befuddled, Ryoga shook his head. "... Ranma's going to kill me if I'm late for our date."

There was a bright flash of light.

-

"Now face the might of the greatest swordsman the world has ever seen! I am the Blue Thunder of Furinkan high!" Kuno charged forward, bokken raised over his head in preparation to strike. "The undefe-" The upperclassman brought his bokken down hard.

Thap!

"Look, whatever." Mato lifted his arm a little more, pushing the bokken aside. "All I wanna know, is if you've seen an Ukyo here that didn't belong?" Left hand stuffed into his pocket still, he frowned at Kuno, feeling a little impatient.

"... I did see a girl who vanished in a heavenly burst of light."

"Where?"

"... By the tree over there."

"...'Kay, thanks." Nudging the bokken away from his face, Mato spun on his heel, walked towards the tree in question, and vanished in a flash of light.

"..." Walking over, Kuno waved his bokken through the air where the odd fellow had been just a moment before. "Perhaps I require glasses." Frowning, he turned and walked back into the school. "I shall make an appointment with an eye doctor tomorrow." Walking into the lunchroom, Kuno strode over to his brother-in-law and sat down across from him.

"How'd the fight go man?" Ranma glanced up from his copy of 'Kendo and YOU; How to not suck at Kendo' and smiled at Kuno a little.

"Very... Oddly." Resting his bokken across his lap, Kuno reached over and picked up the glass of water sitting on the table. "Thank you for the drink."

"No prob." Grinning, Ranma looked back down at his book again. "...Any idea when your sister's comin' back?" There was something in Ranma's tone that made it seem like he was a little more interested in knowing the answer than he let on.

"She returns from Europe next week. The doctors assure me that her arm will fully recover without any loss of mobility."

"Man, I can't believe Akane wigged out like that when I told her I was marryin' Kodachi." Setting the book down for the moment, Ranma pressed his hands to his face.

"Indeed." Kuno sipped at the water.

"Nihao Airen!" A blur of purple and pink rushed into the room in an instant. "Shampoo come to see husband, is happy yes?" She nuzzled into his side.

Sighing, Kuno lightly patted the Chinese girl's head. "Yes, I am very happy. I am also happy that Ranma failed to warn me what would happen if I were to defeat you in armed combat." He shot Ranma a glare.

Smirking, Ranma lifted his book to hide his expression. "Oops?"

-

"Now son, go forth and become a man among men!" Genma hefted little Ranma over his head. "By being wrapped in fish and thrown into a pit of cats, you surely will become a man! Survive this and you surely will attain ma-"

WHAM.

"...By smacking you in the face with my spatula, you surely will attain brain damage." Reaching out, Ukyo snagged little Ranma by the back of his tiny gi. "...Hey, kid."

Little Ranma quailed a little, he wasn't stupid, he _saw_ what the big lady had done to his pop with a single blow. "Uh, yeah?"

"Next time your dad says he's got a good idea, kick him in the crotch until he stops moving."

"...Um, ok?"

"Good." Setting little Ranma down on his feet, she patted the top of his head, and vanished in a bright flash of light.

"...That was weird."

-

"... Ok... Why is a seventeen foot tall... Minotaur with squid thingies glaring at me like that?"

"It's Pantyhose Taro! He fell into the spring of the drowned bull-crane-eel-ye-"

"Ok, look. Shut up. I wasn't asking because I actually _cared_ about the answer." Frowning, Mato pulled his right hand out of his pocket, and shook it out a few times. "I was asking because it seemed like the right thing to do at the time." _Tch, big deal. The last Minotaur I fought was shaped that way because of an insane Goddess. This guy turns into one because he's wet. Whoop-de-friggin'-doo._

Happousai sweatdropped, staring at the strange boy who'd popped in out from thin air. "You're just as disrespectful as Ranma."

"Whatever. Answer my first question; Have you seen an Ukyo that seemed like she wasn't from around here?" Mato didn't take his eyes off of Taro, and the giant beast that was really a boy who wanted to pound Happousai flat glared back at him.

Neither made a move, yet.

"Well, yes, now that I think about it I did run into a girl who looked like her. She kept asking me about someone who looked like Ryoga, but wasn't him." Happy frowned for a moment, lost in thought.

"Clearly, the girl ment this boy." Cologne landed beside Happy, sleeving her hands as she sized up the situation. "Son-in-law and the others are handling the second Taro. Did you really need to splash this boy with water from the spring of the drowned twins?"

"It was an accident!" Flailing his tiny arms, Happy glared at Cologne for a moment before turning his attention back to the new boy. "I'll tell you where she went, if you'll deal with this monster for me." Happy smirked. _Kekeke, I am brilliant. If this punk is so attached to whoever that girl was, he'll surely do it. It doesn't matter that I don't even know where she went. Perfect plan. Kekeke._

"Nah, don't need your help."

"Wh-what?"

Shrugging, Mato continued to stare at Taro. "Hey, you mind if I go now? I've got stuff to do, and this really isn't my fight."

Taro roared, cocking back a tree-like arm. Clearly, smashing was about to happen.

"Tch, shoulda known. Oh well." Shaking his hand a last time, Mato clenched his fingers into a fist, drawing back his arm as well. "Sorry, but I don't have time to play around. I'm gonna not pull this punch."

There was a whoosh as Taro brought his massive fist down on Mato, followed by a terrific crash as fist met fist. The shockwave created by the collision was barely enough to ruffle Cologne's clothes. "Odd, that should have been much louder than that." Frowning, the Amazon Elder waited for the dust to clear. After a moment, the two fighters were clearly visible, both still standing. Both of their arms were still outstretched, though Mato's fist was nearly touching his own face. "Oh my, how clever."

"What?" Happy blinked, confused. "What was?"

"You don't see it Happosai?" Cologne smirked. _The boy flexed his arm as Taro struck, using his muscles to absorb the blow. That's why it was so quiet. Very clever indeed._ "That boy is very dangerous." _Perhaps I should re-think who Shampoo is to wed. I wonder who this boy is?_

"Sorry about the arm, but I ain't got time to crap around." Pushing Taro's mangled fist aside, Mato started walking past the bestial boy. "I've got stuff to do. See ya." There was a bright flash, and suddenly he was gone.

"...What was that boy? There's no way he was human."

Happy silently nodded in agreement. He'd felt the unnatural Chi the boy possessed. It was...

Unearthly.

-

Ukyo stared at herself, feeling a little uncomfortable. "So... You dress like that... All the time?"

The other Ukyo nodded, smiling slyly. "Yeah, but those tights of yours? If I wore them, I'd probably get more guys to stare at my butt instead of my-"

"Ok! I get it! No need to say anymore, thank you!" Crossing her arms into a little X before her, Ukyo shook her head. _I can't believe that one... Version? One version of me would dress like... that._

The other Ukyo smiled, lifted her arms over her head, and posed a little. "You like? You could pull this look off too you know." Bright blue tube top, low rise jeans, and a pair of flip-flops. This Ukyo was dressed to drag men in by their dangling tongues, and she reveled in every look, whistle, and stare she got.

"No! Stop doing that!" Covering her eyes, Ukyo looked away. Though, in her head, a little voice nagged at her. _Looking that good, dressing that nasty... Would Mato go for something like that? Wait, no, bad Ukyo! No dressing like that, ever! ...But, maybe a change in pants wouldn't hurt. Something that doesn't end up with someone sticking their finger up the-_ Shaking her head a few times to dispel that line of thought, Ukyo slapped her cheeks. "Agh. I'm looking for Mato." She whirled around to confront herself. "Have you see-eeee..."

"Hey cutie, wanna go out and have some fun?"

"That's it! I'm out of here!" Throwing her arms into the air, Ukyo stomped off.

-

"Hah, finally found you Ukyo, I-" Mato paused. "Uh." Infront of him were two Ukyos. "Both of you. Huh."

"Oh, have we met before?" One of the Ukyos smiled at him, the other looked a little puzzled.

"I, um... hmm... You're both from around here, aren't you." _Neither of them are the right one. They're locals. Dammit._

"Yup, just moved in from Kansai."

The other Ukyo smiled shyly. "We're the Kuonji twins."

"... Mato Hibiki."

"Pleased to meet you."

"You know, you're kinda cute."

"Uh, thanks." He blinked, staring at the two for a moment. "So, which one of you is-" He pointed at the Ukyo on the right. "You're the boy twin."

"Wh- wow."

"How could you tell?"

"Trust me, with enough practice, you can do anything." Smirking, Mato crossed his arms over his chest. _Am I good? Oh yeah, I'm good. Now all I need to do, is to find someone who's seen an Ukyo who wasn't a twin, and I'll be on my way._

"Speaking of doing anything..." Ukyo-chan smiled, scooting over to Mato's side, putting a hand on his chest.

"How would you like to get a bite to eat with us? Maybe, spend a little time together, after?" Ukyo-kun moved over to Mato's other side, putting a hand over his shoulder.

"Ch- wow. Just, wow. Uh, no. I'd love to, but you see, I'm kind of on a mission type thing. Plus, I kind of sold my soul to the Devil, and I really do need to keep that deal, sooner or later."

"Oh? You can't take a little time off, for us?"

"We could make it worth your while."

_This is awkward. No one must ever know of this._ Mato's eyes widened. _Oh, I really hope that's not someone squeezing my ass._

-

"Ukyo you slut! I'll kill you!" Growling, Akane raced at Ukyo, brandishing a park bench like most would a stick. "That's the last time you ever go near my Ryoga, EVER!" It didn't help that Akane was dressed in tight bicycle shorts and an equally clingy orange tank top.

It seemed that this was the dimension of provocative dress.

"I just wanted to-" Shaking her head, Ukyo continued running for her life. _Why does this stuff always happen to me? All I want to do is find Mato in this world, is that too much to ask?_ Pumping her arms for speed, Ukyo continued to run for her life, barely breaking stride as she hurdled a parked bus. _Why me?_

-

Well, that's chapter two down. I started this one out with the twin Uykos, to be honest. I left it sit for a few days, then just plunked down today and wrote out the rest of it. I did a few edits before finalizing it.

If you're curious, I changed Ryoga's last comment. I changed Tendo dojo to Saotome dojo. I added in the parts immediately after the fight with Kuno, right up until the section break. As well, I added Mato's reflection on just how many damn minotaurs he ends up fighting these days.

All in all, I'm fairly happy with the end result.

Review reply time!

Jusenkyo- Yes, it's a sequel, yays and stuff. And, do you seriously think Mato's a ghost/ghoul? If you're confused, maybe you should reread the last story's epilogue. Glad you're enjoying yourself though.

Pryde Kitty- Glad to have your whole hearted approval. Also, it's good to know that I'm keeping the same feeling as the last story. Hopefully, this chapter's good enough that I get to keep from being chained to my desk, I like being able to go to the bathroom once in awhile y'know. Also, I need loyal fans, to strike back at the flamers that pelt me mercilessly...

Actually, do I even get any flames? I think all my readers seem fairly satisfied with my work.

Baitdcat- The snack cart will be running by again at the beginning of the next chapter, you can get something then. Just be sure to share with everyone else, 'kay? Yeah, funny how easy it was for Ukyo to go 'Mato Mode' wasn't it?

The Azure Penguin- Yeah, there's quite a few front row seats open, as it seems the rest of the fans would rather sit quietly in the back and behave, than drop reviews. But quiet and behaved is good too, right? Sorry to hear that you were sick, and I saw your review, don't worry that I might have missed it.

Yeah, it seems that you too have noticed how easily Ukyo goes 'Mato Mode'. Hmm, darn perceptive readers. Fear not, for Ukyo's days of kicking but are just beginning, as I thought of an evil plan, and an awesome fight scene for her. But you'll have to wait a few chapters for it, MWAHAHAHAHA!!!

Ahem.

Glad you enjoyed it.

scott pike- Ah yes, Sam and Al in the good old days. Glad you caught that one, and that you're enjoying the story so far.

Thanks to everyone that reviewed, it's good to be back.

Well, see you all next chapter.

...Oh. Am I the only one who accidentally tries to log in to 'Hatmail' or 'Hotmal'?


	3. Chapter 3

"... Ok, someone wanna explain how this world is supposed to be different?" Hands on his hips, Mato stared at the crowd, watching them watching Ranma and Kuno beating the tar out of each other. "Seriously, if this is Tuesday, then it must be Tokyo." Shaking his head, he turned to walk away. "Oh. There it is."

There was a flash, and the world dissolved.

-

"I didn't know ok?! Stop chasing me already!" Tearing down the street at a breakneck pace, Ukyo pumped her arms for speed. There was no less than SEVEN barely dressed, very pissed off teenaged girls chasing after her now. All of them were screaming about how she'd stolen their man.

Clearly, this was the Springerverse.

_This is so stupid, all I want to do is find- Oh dear lord._ Skidding to a halt, Ukyo held out her hand in a _stop_ gesture to the girls who were chasing her. "Wait wait wait... Who the heck is that?" She pointed.

"Who?"

"Where?"

"There. That girl right there. The one dressed like a western nun." Ukyo pointed several times, a sharp stabbing gesture. "Who the hell is that?"

"...That's Shampoo."

"Get outta town."

"That's really Shampoo."

"Really."

"Yeah."

"Why's she dressed like that?"

"Uh, that's the way she always dresses?"

"... Ok, now I've seen it all."

"Huh?"

"Oh just leave me alone, I'm having a bad enough week."

"What? No way sister, we're going to teach you a lesson for stealing our m-"

"I SAID-" Ukyo whipped her spatula off of her back, spun around, and slammed it into the gaggle of girls hard enough to send them flying across the street. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" Sighing, she hung her head, slinging her spatula on her back once more. "... That felt good." Walking over to Shampoo, Ukyo grabbed the girl's collar. "Hey."

"Um, yes?"

"Show off those looks girl." A quick yank, and the concealing outfit tore away, leaving Shampoo clad in her bright pink undergarments. "You'll fit in better."

There was a flash, and Shampoo was left standing in the street, alone.

Alone, and hardly dressed.

-

"Ok, now the dojo's on fire." Frowning, Mato stared for a moment. "Not that I haven't seen this kinda thing before." Turning, he sniffed the air, wincing as the acrid smell of smoke filled his nose. "Geh, smells like- Okonomiyaki." A hint of a smile curved his lips as he followed the faint trace through the air, letting his nose do the walking for him.

Along the way, he passed the broken remains of the Tendo house, a battered firetruck trying to put out the raging blaze, and a long swath of destruction cut through Nerima's heart. Ambling past the unconscious Shampoo and Mousse with a smirk, he stopped cold in his tracks.

A body was laying limp in the street, next to an overturned car.

"...Ukyo." In a heartbeat, he was kneeling at her side. "..." Staring blankly, he felt his heart shudder a little. Shaking his head, he swallowed an uncomfortable feeling, and touched a hand to her throat. "...Dead." Lifting his hand, he gently closed the poor girl's eyes. "Twenty minutes ago, I think." Leaning down, he stared at the pale face, his hand absently stroking her hair.

His nose twitched. "... Uh." He leaned down a little further, sniffing. _That's weird._ The tip of his nose brushed against her bandolier. _There, that's what it is. The scent of someone who'd crossed a dimensional divide. But it's not actually coming from this Ukyo, so that means..._ Gathering the girl up in his arms, he stood and looked around. "Ah." A quick hop put him right beside the ambulance he'd spotted.

"Hey, are you ok?" A white suited Paramedic wiped a spatter of blood from his forehead, leaving behind a faint red smear.

"Yeah, I'm fine. The girl needs a little help I think, I found her in the street." He carefully set Ukyo down on one of the empty blankets arranged on the sidewalk. "What happened?" Dozens of people were laying on the sidewalk with various injuries.

"Aw, some of those martial kids snapped." Checking a little old lady to make sure she was stable, the Paramedic waved at another fellow in white to take over the care of the old lady. "They went nuts and trashed a straight line here from that Chinese restaurant with the cat on it."

"Ah, that makes a lot of sense." There was a flicker.

"Yeah, I- aw, geez. Sorry fella, but this girl's- eh? Where'd he go?"

_Found it._ Just a short ways up the road, and over a pair of streets, was the point where Ukyo, _his_ Ukyo, had left this world.

There was a flash.

-

"EEK!" Ducking, Ukyo narrowly avoided having her head sliced off.

There was the sound of steel cleaving flesh, and a patter as something liquid rained down on the ground behind her.

"Ukyo? I thought you moved away to Am-"

"Ranma you jackass!" Standing up, Ukyo got right in his face, furious. "What's the idea, are you trying to decapitate me?!"

Ranma blinked, leaning away. "Um, no. Sorry?"

"You're damn right you're sorry, you- wait." Ukyo blinked, reaching around to pat the back of Ranma's head. "Why isn't your hair in a braid?"

"... Because I always have my hair like this, and braids are for girls."

Ukyo huffed, planting her hands on her hips. "Shut up, boys can wear braids too... Jackass."

"Yeah, right." Snorting, Ranma pulled a handful of ricepaper from his pocket.

"What's the paper for?"

"To clean the blood off my sword, duh." Wiping up the length of the blade, Ranma tossed the bloody handful of paper away, sheathing the katana at his hip. "Did you get hit in the head or something?"

"...Sword? Why would-" Something clicked in her head, and Ukyo turned around and looked down. "Urk." Gagging softly, she stared at the body that had been slashed open from shoulder to hip.

"Are you ok?" Ranma put a hand on Ukyo's shoulder, looking at her pale face.

_NO! There's a freaking CORPSE at my feet, and you're the one that put it there!_ Swallowing, Ukyo nodded. "I'm- I'm fine. Just a little..." She trailed off, unsure of how to finish that sentence. "Tired. I'm just tired Ranma."

"Well, you can come back to the dojo with me." Gently turning Ukyo, Ranma started to lead her away.

"The Tendo dojo?"

"No, the Kamiya dojo. Are you _sure_ you didn't get hit in the head?"

"No, but I'm starting to wish I had been..."

-

"Ok, why the hell am I in the middle of a cake?"

You can guess exactly what this is leading to.

"...Oh good, first Ukyo ruins my wedding, now Ryoga." Still smeared with icing, Nabiki glared at him. "If you-"

"Nabiki, shut it. You're a total bitch, and there isn't enough brick in the world to bust over your head to fix the problem." Hopping off of the cake, Mato grabbed a handful of napkins, and began wiping the frosting off of his pants. "...Why does this feel like the tail end of a running gag?"

Nabiki, understandably, was sputtering with rage.

"No, seriously. SHUT. IT." Considering his pants clean enough, he began walking out, tossing the frosting coated napkins in Nabiki's face as he passed her. "I don't know. I don't care. And I'm out of here." He shoved the double doors of the hall open, and strode out into the sunny summer day. _Ok, now where to fi- Ah, bingo._

There was a flash, and then the street was empty.

-

"There you are." Kasumi smiled, setting a cup of tea down on the table.

"Um, thanks." Ukyo wrapped her fingers around the cup, staring into it's depths for a moment. "So, you all practice Kenjutsu?"

"Yes." Kasumi seated herself across from Ukyo, after pulling her bokken from her belt. "It's something of a tradition, dating back to the turn of the Meji era." Picking up her own cup of tea, she regarded Ukyo oddly. "But you should know this already, if you are who you say you are."

"I _told_ you, I'm from another dimension." Huffing, Ukyo lifted her cup and slurped her tea loudly. _I'm starting to get sick of this. How does Mato make it so easy to get people to believe him? I guess because he's so out of this world, that it's impossible to NOT believe him._

"Yes, of course." Trying to sound as non-judgmental as possible, Kasumi sipped at her tea.

_Oh, I know how._ "In one of the more recent dimensions I was in, Ranma was marrying Nabiki." Ukyo quickly ducked as Kasumi sprayed her tea across the table. "... I ended up appearing on top of the cake."

"... I... See..."

"Yeah."

-

"... You're dating Ranma."

Ryoga nodded.

"And you know she's really a boy."

Ryoga nodded again, blushing faintly.

"And you don't care."

Ryoga shook his head.

"...Super. Well, whatever, just don't land on your head."

"What? I don't underst-AAAAAAAaaaaa....."

Shading his eyes with a hand, Mato smirked as he watched Ryoga sail off into the distance, and vanish. "Damn, if this was an Olympic event, I'd have like fifty gold medals by now." Chuckling to himself, Mato turned and started walking. "The people toss, hilari- oh, there it is. That was fast."

There was a flash, and the world dissolved.

And faded back in. "Ok, _now_ where am-"

"-come a man among men! Mastery of the cat fist will be my greatest lesson to you. This time for sure, no girl will stop me."

WHAP!

"Ha, ironicly right. You shoulda said 'nobody' idiot." Shading his eyes, Mato watched as Genma sailed off into the distance. "Hey, kid." Mato looked down at little Ranma, whom he'd snatched out of the air as he was falling.

"...Yeah?"

"That's called 'The Punt'. Anytime your pop starts sayin' stupid stuff, do that to him."

"... A lady with a big flat shovel said I should kick him in the crotch until he stops moving."

"... That's good too, do that instead." He set the boy down on his feet. "Where'd this lady go?"

"Over there." Little Ranma pointed with a tiny hand. "She just vanished though."

"Figures."

"Mister?"

"Yeah?"

"Why're you looking for the big lady?"

"... Love, I guess."

"Oh. That's important, right?"

"Well, I sure as hell didn't come back from the dead just to get a pepsi, now did I?" Snorting, Mato walked forward and vanished in a flash of light.

Little Ranma stared at the place where the strange man had been just a moment ago. "... A pepsi?"

-

"So, that's my story, I guess." Slouching over, Ukyo sprawled her upper body over the table and let out a long sigh. "It's kind of tiring, realizing just how far this search has taken me..." _No results either, what a pain._

Kasumi regarded Ukyo calmly, struggling to absorb everything the girl had told her. "That's... Quite a tale. You've surely done your fair share of good deeds."

"...I guess... Not that it's really done me any good."

"Perhaps not, but it's done many other people much good. Have you ever thought of that?"

"...No. I-" Blinking, Ukyo suddenly jerked upright. "Wait, you're saying that I'm not doing all this stuff for me, but for other people?"

"It certainly seems that way to me."

"..." Sighing, Ukyo hung her head. _Great. Some wonderful thing this stupid wish has been for me. What's the point of a wish, if all it has is catches? I- oh crap. I think I just realized why Mato was cranky all the time._ A sudden feeling of dread washed through her body, making her shiver.

"Ukyo? Are you alright? Is something wrong?"

"No..." _I think I'm being used. Not one thing has worked out in my favor since I made that wish. Not one. On the other hand, it seems like I'm sure doing someone else a laundry list of favors. I don't think it's a good idea for me to keep doing this anymore._

There was a crash from somewhere on the far end of the house. Kasumi snatched up her bokken and took off at a run. "Stay here."

Frowning, Ukyo stood up and checked her bandolier. _I've got a very bad feeling about all this. I really wish Mato was here, at least then I'd have some idea of how bad this is all going to get._

"SAOTOME! I've come for your head! Come out, or I'll start killing everyone in this house until you show yourself." The rasp of steel sang out for an instant. "Starting with this bitch right here!" There was a clang, and something wooden clattered to the ground.

_Oh, this is such a bad idea._ Snatching her battle spatula off of her back, Ukyo ran off after Kasumi, hoping she lived to regret this decision.

-

"Ok, I've gotta say." Mato raked his fingers through his bangs. "Easy on the eyes as this dimension is, it's starting to become a pain in the ass."

"Oh c'mon sugar, spend a little more time and you'll grow to love it." Ukyo grinned at him, rubbing up against Mato's side provocatively.

"...Yeah, no, I don't really think so." Frowning, Mato looked around, trying to figure out where Ukyo, _his_ Ukyo, could have gone. "So, you're not gonna tell me where she went?"

"Nope, sorry. If what you say is true, then you'll vanish pretty quick once I tell you." Leaning in close, Ukyo pressed her body against his side. "And I like you right where you are now."

"Pass!" Lightly pushing Ukyo away, Mato wandered off, casting about for a scent like a bloodhound. _This is starting to get irritating. I'm fairly sure I know what's happening now, but I'd like to be positive before I starting yelling and punching people._ A few minutes of casting about led him to a cluster of angry looking girls.

"Hey, kick his ass!"

"... Yeah, now it's just getting stupidly obvious." Frowning, Mato lept over the pack of girls, following the scent trail. _Getting sloppy now, if you're resorting to having random people attack me._ Smirking, Mato darted forward. _Pity you can't stop me._

There was a bright flash, and he was gone.

-

"Eek!" Parrying the katana with the handle of her spatula, Ukyo bounded away from the half dozen swordsmen. _Oh this is bad._ Plucking a handful of spatulas from her bandolier, she flung them out in a wide spray, nailing a few of the men in painful spots, and grazing a couple of the others.

Across the room, Kasumi was having a very rough time facing Ryu Kumon and his very long nodachi with just her wooden sword. Several inches of the tip had been cleft from it's length on their first few passes, and Kasumi was not looking very happy about her odds.

_Why is everything getting so much worse all of a sudden? It can't just be a coincidence that this is all happening now. Why do I feel like I've made a deal with the Devil?_

There was a crash, and a spray of glass flew into the air as a dozen more armed men charged into the room.

"Aw no, not more of you guys!" _Now I know I'm in trouble. I thought God was supposed to be nice and caring to people? How is this nice and caring? I'm being attacked by people with swords, just because I don't want to keep doing this? I thought I was supposed to be granted a wish because I was such a nice and deserving person?_ "Argh, out of my way you jackasses!" Winding up, Ukyo smashed three goons out of her way with a bonecrushing swing that knocked them across the room.

There was another crash, much louder than before, and Pantyhose Taro stormed in through a hole he'd blown in one of the walls. If the massive axe over his shoulder was any indication, and it was, both girls were in for a world of hurt.

_Oh God, I don't want to BE HERE anymore!_

Then there was a flash, and only Kasumi was in for a very bad day.

-

The world blurred into existence in a flash of light.

"Die Hibiki!"

"Aw hell!" Ducking, a flash of silvery metal hissed over Mato's head, nearly taking his braid off in the process. "Oh come on! Not even two seconds in, and you've got people trying to kill me? Lame!" Another flash of steel, and Mato tumbled backwards to avoid it, springing away from the ground with a quick plant and push of his hand.

"You don't have time to yell for help, Hibi-"

"I wasn't yelling for help." Standing up, Mato folded his arms over his chest, frowning.

"Then who were you yelling at?"

"God."

"....What?" The figure engulfed in form-fitting black clothing cocked his head.

"Yeah, I'm yelling at God, because he's pulling some BS on me, and I don't like it."

"Well, you'll be seeing God soon enough." Darting forward, the man lashed out with his blade again, the finely honed edge driving right for Mato's throat.

Ting.

"Yeah right. If I did, I'd probably punch him in the nose and tell him to stop being an ass." Twisting the blade between thumb and forefinger, Mato arched an eyebrow as he noticed how much the blade was flexing under his grasp. "Also, don't cut my head off, it's rude."

"P-punch God? Are you insane?" The man yanked and hauled at the hilt, trying to free his sword.

"It wouldn't be the first time either." Flexing his wrist, the sword snapped in two at the middle, sending up a faint spray of metal shards. "Also, I'm not crazy. Just crazy good is all." Smirking, Mato twisted his wrist again, slapping the man across the face with the flat of the broken blade. "Ass."

-

The world rushed in and assaulted her senses violently.

"Ugh, that one felt weird." Holding a hand to her face, Ukyo staggered a little, trying to keep her footing. _It was kind of uncomfortable that time. Maybe it's some sort of punishment? Well, nothing could be as bad as what I just got out of._

"Hey look. A human girl." A disturbing, lizard-like voice hissed out from somewhere around her.

"My, she looks tasty." Another voice, deeper, with a growly sort of quality to it came from another direction.

"Um..." Ukyo blinked, then outright gasped, stumbling back as the speakers stepped into the light. One was covered in green scales, and looked like a cross between a man and a reptile. The other was taller, _much_ taller, and covered in thick brownish fur from head to toe.

"What do you think?"

"We should eat her."

Stumbling back a few steps, Ukyo brandished her battle spatula before her, trying to ward the strange creatures off. She knew what they were, from all that part time work she did at that shrine, but she _really_ wanted to be wrong right then and there. "D-demons..."

Clearly, today was not a good day to be upsetting God.

-

Well, another chapter down, and things are starting to get a little more frantic. A bit of a long chapter again, but I doubt any of you are going to complain about it's lack of shortness.

Also, chilling hints, perhaps?

Review replies!

Jusenkyo- Nah, not dense. A lot of times, what one person thinks is obvious, is very muddy to another. It happens to me all the time, I'm frequently asking people to explain more clearly for me. It's just what happens when you have people who think very differently from one another, so, no worries. and yes, Genma gets junk shots, he deserves it. Glad you liked it.

Scourgeofthegalaxy- Ok, you got it. Glad you're enjoying yourself.

Teturo- Yay, I'm funny and stuff. As for Mato, it looks like explaining is character gets harder the more I write about him. I promise I'll have some big reveal chapter to explain everything in plain words at some point in the story.

Pryde Kitty- Yay, no desk chainage. Hopefully, this chapter's good enough too. And, as you know, Mato was not too thrilled to be in the middle of a bi-gendered Ukyo sandwich.

Well, I guess that's it for this chapter. Huh, kinda short on the post script this time. Oh well.

See you next time.


	4. Chapter 4

"I'll you you, you bastard!" Lashing out with his broken sword, the black clad man darted in for the kill.

"Yeah yeah, blah blah." Ducking under the swing, Mato reversed his hold on the upper half of the sword he held. "You hate me and stuff. Whatever." A feral grin twisted his lips as he shifted his stance, grabbing the man by the front of his outfit.

He hesitated for a moment.

_I'm not a monster... Not yet._ Thrusting his arm up, he jammed the blade into the man's armpit, neatly skewering his shoulder in an instant. The man let out a cry of pain as he collapsed, a spurt of liquid crimson rained to the ground. "Y'know, as long as you leave the blade in the wound, you shouldn't bleed out for a good long while." Smirking, Mato turned around, waving over his shoulder. "Feel free to rethink your life."

The sputtering, moaning, and cursing from the man slowly died off as Mato wandered away from him.

_Hmm, now... Where did she go?_ Sniffing the air for a moment, he grimaced. _Ranma, and a lot of blood coming from the way he went. Also, it smells like..._ Wincing, Mato took off at a sprint. _A different world, but a lot of it is the same. Though, I don't usually smell that much blood coming from the Tendo dojo._ Landing on the roof of the Tendo house with a thump, Mato grabbed the edge of the roof and flipped upside-down, peering in through a window. "Oh... That's why." _They're all dead... But, why do they look differ- that's not Kasumi. The mother, perhaps?_ Frowning, he sniffed the air again. _A lot more blood, and it's leading... _

There was a flicker, and he was gone.

-

"Not faiiir!" Sprinting through the trees, Ukyo clutched her battle spatula in one hand, in a white-knuckle tight grip. Her other hand was busy. _This sucks so much._ Busy mainly either shoving branches out of her way, or flinging back the occasional spatula to keep the two Demons from getting too close to her.

"Argh! You little runt!" Yanking a spatula from his thigh, the fur covered Demon ignored the small wound as he hurried to catch up with the girl. The wound was sealing itself up already anyhow. "I'll make you pay for that one!"

Letting out a sizzling hiss of a laugh, the reptilian Demon continued the chase, ignoring the few spatulas that hit him, and simply bounced off of his tough, scaly hide. "Bad luck for you."

_Why meeeee?_

-

Meanwhile, at the Kamiya dojo...

"Hah! Another half inch, and that would have been your arm, bitch." Gritting his teeth in a harsh smile, Ryu Kumon rubbed at the ragged slash in his cheek with his knuckles, making the shallow wound burn. "I'm going to make you suffer for this little scratch."

Breath rasping in her throat, Kasumi held what remained of her bokken in one hand, the other was clamped over her neck. A thin trickle of red leaked out from between her fingers. Her vision blurred a little as the graze on her neck continued to bleed. It wasn't an arterial wound, but it was bleeding fairly bad.

"Nothing to say? Pity." Spitting in contempt, Ryu gripped his nodachi with both hands, wringing the hilt. "I'm going to have a lot of fun with you after I hack your sword arm off." Leering, Ryu lunched forward, thrusting his blade at Kasumi's wounded shoulder. He'd nicked her sword-arm a few moments ago, just to give himself an edge on her. Now it would cost the girl her life. His eyes twinkled with merry menace as he closed in for the kill.

And just as abruptly as he'd started, his lunge suddenly halted. "Uh?"

"You can threaten 'em. You can kidnap 'em. You can even tie 'em up and use them as bait for their loved ones..."

"Who the hell are you?" Ryu yanked at his sword. "Who the HELL are YOU?!"

Gripping the end of Ryu's nodachi to the point that the metal folded in on itself, Mato stared at Ryu, standing between him and Kasumi. "But you never, _ever_-"

"Who the hell do you think you are, getting in my way like this?" Yanking on his sword, the blade snapped at the middle and Ryu lunged forward, driving the broken end at the interloper's face.

Standing perfectly still, Mato gave Ryu a baleful glare. "_Never_ _touch the nice ones._"

Letting out a wordless howl, thrusting with both hands, Ryu could see nothing but blood and violence. He didn't care who this man was anymore, he was going to cut _through_ him to kill Kasumi.

A split-second of inattention is all it takes though.

-

Wiping a trickle of blood out of one eye, Ukyo lept backwards, narrowly avoiding a set of claws that hissed through the air where he face had been an instant ago. _Dammit, I can't see!_ Swinging her spatula one handed, she lept back again, scrubbing at the nick in her forehead. _Clot damn you, clot. If I can't see where they are, I'm as good as-_

The reptilian Demon lunged in for the kill, both arms poised above him to smash down on the frail human girl. "You're dead now, you lit- eh?" Pausing in mid-attack, the Demon turned to look at it's companion. "What's wr-" His eyes widened as he _saw_ what was wrong.

What was wrong, was that a three foot thick sword was about to cleave straight through his skull.

Ukyo dropped onto her backside, one eye squinted shut against the rill of blood flowing down her face. Her other eye was wide, very wide. _Oh God... What is that?_

"Are you gonna just sit there and wait for something else to show up?" A hand was thrust at her face, a blurr of bright red attached to it. The voice was familiar, oh so very familiar, but somehow a little wrong too. "Well? Gimmie your hand stupid!"

Grabbing the red blur's hand, Ukyo was hauled up into the air, and slung over the blurr's shoulder. "Eek!" Kicking her legs, she held on for dear life as the blur started to run off with her, like she was a sack or something. A particularly cute and bloody, and very upset sack, but a sack nonetheless.

"Sit still wouldja?" Sighing, the red blurr shoved his sword back into the sheath tucked into his belt, sending up a spray of sparks as the blade compressed to fit into the normally sized scabbard. "Geez, you damn humans are all such pains."

"Well excuse me for objecting to being kidnapped!" Ukyo kicked her legs again, aiming several below the belt. She'd be damned if she was going to go quietly. If Ukyo had her way, this jerk would be walking funny for weeks once she was done with him.

"OW! Stop kickin' me!" Growling, her wrapped his other arm around Ukyo's legs, holding her with disturbing ease.

"...Ranma?"

"What?"

Ukyo blanched a bit. "R-Ranma?" _No way, it couldn't be._

"What?! What the hell is a 'Ranma' anyway?"

"S-so, you're not Ran-chan then?"

"First a Ranma, now a Ran-thingy. Will you make up your mind?"

_Sure sounds like Ranma._ Grumbling, Ukyo grabbed for the perpetual braid. _The universal Saotome hand hold. I'll just- eh?_ Ukyo blinked. Instead of a braid of thick dark hair, she'd come up with a handful of grey fluffy stuff? "What the heck is this?" She tugged on it a few times.

"OW! Stop pullin' my hair! Stupid human!"

Ukyo yanked hard, hard enough to pull herself back far enough to see this person face to face. "You're not Ranma, who the hell are you jackass?" Another rill of blood flowed down into her eye, but Ukyo ignored it, it wasn't important right then.

Growling, the white haired, golden eyed boy who'd carted her around like a sack full of trouble, glared at her. "I'm-"

A voice called out from somewhere close by, interrupting whatever it was the boy was about to say. "Inuyasha, SIT!"

"GYAGH!"

WHAM.

Landing in a heap, Ukyo took a moment to sit up and collect herself. "Ow ow ow... My butt hurts..." Rubbing her back with one hand, she rubbed the blood out of her eye with the back of the other. Finally, she could see what it was that had happened.

Just at Ukyo's feet, her would-be kidnapper was laying, flat on his face in a small crater.

"... This is the weirdest thing yet."

-

There was a thud, as the broken upper half of Ryu's nodachi buried itself point-first into the floor. An instant later the sound of steel cleaving flesh filled the air, and was quickly drowned out by the loud, liquid patter of fluid spattering over the floor and ceiling.

"And now you're dead." Dropping his arm, Mato let his eyes droop shut. "You should've listened."

Pinned to the ceiling by his own blade, Ryu's chin was fixed in place by the circular guard, the remainder of the hilt extending down from there.

Kasumi gagged a little, staring at Ryu's limp form as it slowly swung to stillness. It wasn't often one got a chance to see someone mounted like a bug on a pin. _He's... Even faster than Ranma..._

"Ryu!" Someone yelled from behind the pair.

Whirling to see who it was, Kasumi threw herself out of the path of a charging Pantyhose Taro. _Not goo-_ "Ugh!" Wincing as her body roughly thudded against the floor, she gripped tightly at her neck and shoulder, trying to keep both wounds from leaking.

Snatching Kasumi's dropped bokken out of the air, Mato gripped the very end of the weapon, laying his other hand across the ragged tip of the wooden sword.

Taro felt a stab of fear lance through him. _Gatotsu? No, can't be. The footwork is all wrong. Besides, you can't-_ Hefting his massive axe over his head, Tato brought the wide, honed edge down on the man's shoulder with both hands. -_Can't use the Gatotsu with a stick_.

Letting the hilt roll down his fingers, Mato yanked his hand up and away, making the bokken spin rapidly in place along it's length. Cocking his arm back, he stepped forward and slammed his palm into the base of the wooden sword, driving the tip into Taro's chest. "Sakura Kazeto!"

Letting out a grunt, Taro tightened up his abs, refusing to let the blow rob his swing of any power. Letting out a guttural howl, he brought the axe down as hard as he could, swinging it with his entire body. The wooden haft of the axe crackled as it slammed into the man's shoulder, then splintered, then, it finally shattered.

There was a thud, as the massive axe head embedded itself in the floor behind Mato. Wooden fragments rained down on the pair as Taro stood nose to nose with the other man. After a moment, he let out a pained grunt. Puzzled, he tried to speak, but somehow, he couldn't manage to get any air into his lungs.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" Brushing splinters from his shoulders, Mato avoided making eye contact with Taro. "If you had a better sense of self awareness, and more focus on your defense, I might not have got that hit in on you."

Taro's eyes widened a little. He let out a puzzled grunt, all he could manage to make at this point.

"I call it the 'Cherry Blossom Wind Sword'. It's really the only sword technique I have. It's also the only move I can make with a sword, without snapping the damn thing in two like a twig."

Taro let out a small gurgle.

"The nice thing about using it with a curved blade is..." Mato put a hand on Taro's head, tilting it down so he could look at his body. "Is that it spins in such a wide area, that it cores whatever I hit with it." Mato's lips swept back in a feral grin, his fangs gleaming. "Like an apple."

Taro let out another gurgle, blood flowing past his lips along with the feeble noise. He could clearly see that everything between his hips and shoulders had been torn to shreds, leaving a huge, gaping hole where his torso had been.

"Just like your friend... You've been dead for awhile now." Mato tilted Taro's face back up, so the boy could see the expression on his face. His eyes glimmered with an eerily bright green inner radiance. "You just didn't realize it." Putting his hand on Taro's face, he gently closed the boy's eyes, then shoved him back roughly.

The mangled corpse that had once been Taro thudded to the ground and quietly leaked red onto the floorboards.

"Pest." Snorting, Mato turned to check on Kasumi, and blinked when he saw her expression.

It was one of horror.

"... Oh, you're still here." Sighing, Mato slunk over and knelt at the terrified girl's side. "Meh, whatever." He lightly pressed his hand over her chest, covering her mouth with the other when she opened it, smothering whatever it was she had been about to say. Soft green light flowed from his fingertips as he held her down. "Quiet, would you? Healing people is a pain as it is, I don't need to hear you whimpering and breaking my concentration too."

-

"I'm really sorry about Inuyasha's behavior." Sighing, Kagome glared at the half-Demon for a moment. "He can be so rude sometimes."

"Keh!" Turning away, Inuyasha continued to sulk, sitting in the dirt, as was his wont.

"That's, uh... Ok." Rubbing at her eye again, Ukyo let out a sigh. "So, what happened here?" The bandage across her forehead itched, but she had the good sense to ignore it. No sense making it bleed again when she could just scratch it later, after it had healed a little.

"Well, it's kind of complicated, but..." Kagome trailed off, staring at the lush vegetation around them. I think this was Shinjuku."

"What? No way." Ukyo looked around for a moment. "I think I'd remember if Shinjuku was known for it's monsters and big trees in the middle of Japan."

"Well, like I said, it's complicated. There was this well, and it um, connected to Japan, but in the past, during the Warring States era."

"...Go on."

"And it worked great, until one day, a tiny little bald pervert and a panda showed up..."

"...I don't think I'm going to like how this ends."

"Well, they threw something into the well, after fighting a whole bunch, and the well went all crazy." Kagome made a few swishing gestures with her hands. "Whole chunks of the past traded places with present day Japan, and... Well, this is it really."

"So, you're telling me... That parts of the future are in the past, and some of the past is here now."

Kagome nodded.

Sighing, Ukyo pressed her hands to her face, being careful not to disturb her bandage. "I think I was better off not knowing any of this." _How much worse is everything going to get, before something actually turns out good for me?_

-

Chapter end! It was a bit of a short one this time, but I had a ragged weekend, and it's very overdue. So rather than struggle to add more, I'll just post the damn thing, and make up for it next time.

Also, aside from the obvious mentioning about the sudden crossover, it's not gonna last for too long, as the basis of the story is more Ukyo than anything else. Though, I could be wrong on that one...

Review reply time.

Teturo- Glad I can still deliver on these chapters. And a chance of getting to see Genma pissing off Hild and paying for it? Hmmm, I think I could make that happen, simply because it'd be damn funny.

Blueninja33- Yeah, like Quantum Leap, if Sam pissed off God by saying 'lemmie go home, jerk!' and God turned out to not be amused by that. Oooh... I wonder if that was a spoiler or not? Hmm.

Scourgeofthegalaxy- Yay, random. I used to get called that a lot, I tend to take it as a compliment.

Jusenkyo- I too, had read a little of RK the day I was writing the chapter. The great irony is, I read it AFTER I'd done Kasumi's character up. Hah, it got me in the mood to read the series again, what can I say? As for how different some of the alternate characters are, well, it is my sort of trademark I think? And Nabiki is a pain in the ass, there I said it. Glad you liked the story so far.

Pryde Kitty- Why do people keep thinking I should be chained to stuff? I treat Nabiki like dirt, fans go 'yay' and then... Chains all of a sudden? Is chaining the reward here? No chocolates? Chocolate chains? Eh, no, too messy.

James Birdsong- Three chapters, so I get three words for a review? Ha. It's funny.

Ok, that's it for this chapter. It was action packed and grim and stuff, so you know the next one will have.... Slapstick, and a big fight between two goodguy powerhouses because neither one of them is smart enough to ask 'are you evil?'

...Wait, was that a spoiler too? I can't tell.

Until next time.


	5. Chapter 5

Torn flesh and nicked bone slowly knit under the soft glow of green light that played over the small wounds. Several seconds of attention was all that it took. "There, you're fine. Now sit up and be grateful dammit." Frowning, Mato stared down at Kasumi.

Who, for her part, just lay there, staring at him. _What on earth is he?_

Sighing in disgust, Mato reached down, hauling the girl upright by her collar. "You're startin' to become a real pain in my a-"

"KASUMI!" A blur of two toned blue shot into the room, immediately preceded by a bright glint of silvery grey.

"Son of a-" Twisting around, Mato brought up his arm just in time to catch the blade on it, instead of his face. _Ok, ow._ A spatter of liquid crimson sprayed into the air as the force of the lunge drove him across the room, slamming his back into a wall. The red-stained tip of the blade hovered a scant inch from his face, trembling from the force the wielder was exerting on it still.

"You hurt Kasumi." The voice was thick with menace.

"No, I healed her. You could be a little more grateful... Kuno." Frowning, Mato twisted his hand a little, forcing the tip of the katana away from his face. Bloody flames were licking along the upper quarter of the blade, making the metal smoke and blacken. "Wanna move it before you lose it?"

Narrowing his eyes, Kuno strained to keep the point where he wanted it to be. His entire body shook with the effort of fighting against the man's single, wounded hand.

"... Seriously Kasumi, you're just gonna sit on your ass and do noth-"

"Kuno, stop! ... Please." Placing a hand on the swordsman's shoulder, she gently pulled at him. "Please stop, he is telling the truth."

Easing up a little, Kuno turned his head a fraction, to look at Kasumi out of the corner of his eye. "What hap-" And was launched across the room for his troubles. Rolling back onto his feet, he stumbled back and raised his blade before him, wincing at how damaged the tip of his sword appeared.

"That was for my hand, jerk." Massaging his hand a little, he flicked away flaming droplets of blood. "This whole dimension is a pain in the ass." Glancing at Kasumi for a moment, Mato snorted and shoved his hands into his pockets. "We're even now. I'll be good... Well, good-ish."

Frowning, Kasumi nodded and hunted around for a moment, finally locating her gore-stained bokken. "...Umm." She held the mostly intact bokken away from her with two fingers.

"Ye-ah, I'd... I'd just get a new one, if I was you."

Kasumi nodded silently.

"Look, all I wanna know is-"

-

"So, to recap where we are now... We're hiding in what's left of a crappy shack, because a bunch of Demon bugs chased us here, and now we're surrounded by a lot of animal Demon things."

Inuyasha's eye twitched. "..." He also refrained from commenting, an amazing first for him, brought on mostly by the fear that Kagome would make him slam his face into the ground again. _Damn stupid beads._ Sitting in a corner with his sword tucked up against his shoulder, he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to shut out the girl's voice.

"Yes, that sounds about right." Kagome stood on tiptoe, peeking out of a small hole in the wall. Outside, she could see the Demons circling around, arguing with one another from time to time. "... I think they're trying to decide who gets to eat what."

"Great." Sighing, Ukyo plunked down on her butt, winced, as it was still sore, and took stock of how many throwing spatulas she had left. "I'll have you know I blame you both for how much this situation sucks."

"Rrr..."

"Us? What did we do?" Kagome glanced over her shoulder at the mystery girl. _She sure looks a lot like Sango, except for the weird outfit._

"Hey, this is your world, not mine. If something this messed up has happened, you should have done something about it." _Five. I can't believe I'm nearly out again. I need to start carrying smaller throwing weapons at this rate._

"Rrr, well what were we supposed to do?" Inuyasha jumped to his feet and glowered down at Ukyo. "Everything was over before we even knew it had started!"

"Inuyasha!"

"Gleep!" Covering his face with both arms in a futile attempt to protect himself, he stood there. "...Uh?" And didn't slam face-first into the floor, for once.

"Come over here and tell me what this looks like to you." Kagome waved her hand a few times, gesturing for the half-Demon to come join her.

"Uh, right." Moving over, he peered over Kagome's head, looking out through the small hole in the wall. "... It looks like they're agreeing on something."

"...That's what I was afraid of." Sighing, Kagome slid down the wall into a sitting position. "Well, so much for hoping they'd just get bored and go away."

"Keh, forget it. Demons don't do that without killing something in the end." Tucking his sword into his belt, Inuyasha patted the hilt twice. "I'll just use the Tessaiga and cut 'em all down. You two wait here."

There was a crackling-crunch as a scaly hand burst through one of the worn wooden walls. The taloned fingers grasping at air as the Demon it was attached to groped around blindly, trying to find one of the three fleshy things inside the little building.

"Stupid-" Hefting her battle spatula, Ukyo slammed it down on the hand.

There was a pained yelp, and the hand quickly withdrew from the hole. After a moment of snarling and arguing, the wall started to buckle.

"Uhh, they're pushing in the wall Inuyasha." Kagome picked up her backpack and inched away from the wall in question.

"Keh, let 'em. Without these stupid walls in the way, it'll be that much easier for me to cut 'em down." Griping the hilt of his sword, Inuyasha watched the wall intently, waiting for his chance to strike.

"Shouldn't we get outside _before_ the roof falls on our heads?" Ukyo frowned, looking around at the walls, clutching her spatula in one hand. _There, they've left one wall untouched. Either they're very smart, and expect us to go that way, or they're very stupid, and none of them thought to cover that all. Either way, we're going out through there._ Ukyo pointed at the wall several times, indicating that they should make their escape through it.

Nodding, Inuyasha swept Kagome up onto his back without a word, and stepped over to the wall. "Sankon Tessou!" A single swipe of his hand was all it took to reduce the wall to splinters with his claws, and the three ran outside as the building collapsed in on itself.

_Ok, didn't expect it to be that easy, but you won't hear me complaining._ Ukyo skidded to a stop as the pack of lizard Demons surrounded them. "Ok, I lied, this SUCKS!" Battering one of the Demons in the face with her spatula, Ukyo hopped through the gap in their line, and spun around. Smacking another Demon in the face as it charged at her, she bounded backwards, trying to put some distance between the Demons and herself.

"Hyaaah!" There was a flash of steel and yellow light, and one of the Demons burst into chunks from the force of Inuyasha's swing. "Annoying little lizards! Get outta my way! Hah!" A second swing, and another Demon burst into bits. Clearly, the half-Demon was holding his own, and then some.

"EEEEE!" Kagome, on the other hand, was running around, clutching to her backpack, screaming her head off. "Somebody help me!"

"Idiot! Use your bow and SHOOT THEM!"

"I left it back at the village!"

"Why'd you do a stupid thing like that?" Inuyasha bounded over to Kagome's side, scooped her up, and leaped skyward once more.

"Because some JERK kept rushing me to hurry up and go!" Huffing from all the running she'd had to do, Kagome still had plenty of breath to chew out Inuyasha with.

"Oh, don't mind me." Ukyo flailed away with her spatula, trying to create some breathing room. "I'm doing just fine down here with all the Demons. No need to worry about _me_... Jerks."

One of the bigger Demons stomped forward and swatted the offending weapon away with an almost casual backhand, warping the shaft of the battle spatula in the process. "Hurr hurr hurr... Now I'm gonna eatcha."

_This is stupid, just kick his ass._

"The hell you are!" Planting her feet, Ukyo held out her arms and cupped her hands together, a grim expression on her face. _I'm so sick of all this crap, SO DAMN SICK OF IT!_ Pale yellow lights danced along the length of Ukyo's arms, and gathered between her fingertips. "Miyomimane Shi Shi Hoku Dan!" A softball sized orb of transparent yellow light rocketed from Ukyo's hands, and slammed into the Demon's face, sending a spray of scales and bloody fangs into the air.

"Miyo... Mimane?" Kagome blinked, staring down at the new girl from her secure perch in Inuyasha's arms. "Imitation by observation?"

"Who the hell would you watch to learn something like _that?_" Landing with a thump, Inuyasha stared at Ukyo, along with Kagome and the rest of the Demons.

Drawing a scaled hand across the ragged remains of his cheek, the big lizard Demon let out a sizzling growl of pained annoyance. "Urrr, gonna eatcha face first for that one girlie."

Ukyo slouched where she stood, her arms hanging limply at her sides. Her breath came in ragged huffs, and her vision blurred a little. _Oh God... That took so much out of me... How does they do this all the time without falling over?_ Swallowing, Ukyo continued to pant, her throat rasping against all the dry air she was sucking down. _I don't think I could do that again today... No battle spatula, the little ones don't work against his scaled hide. I'm in trouble._

"Idiot, that's not how you do it." The voice came from somewhere above.

"Eh?" _That sounded like-­_

"Shi Shi Hoku Dan!" A brilliant sphere of dazzling yellow light the size of a bowling ball slammed down on the big lizard Demon, driving it to the ground under the force of it's impact before it detonated. Chunks of flash cooked Demon bits flew into the air, trailing vaporized blood and smoke as they tumbled to the ground.

Ukyo slumped to her knees, staring at the small smoking crater where the Demon had once stood. _No way... I finally found a world where there's one of him._ Grinning tiredly, Ukyo tilted her head back to stare at the black and yellow clad man who'd dropped down between her and the Demons. Even from the back, she could tell exactly who it was. _Bandanna, Hibiki style outfit, an aura of 'I'm pissed off, you should run away now'... Oh yeah, it's him alright._ Ukyo blinked several times, trying to clear her vision. _Wait, what's up with all the hair?_

"Ok, who wants to be the next smoking hole in the ground?" Crossing his arms over his chest, Mato Hibiki smirked, sweeping his golden gaze over the pack of Demons. A mane of waist length white hair rippled slightly as he moved his head. "Well?" A pair of pointed ears atop his head twitched, mostly in irritation.

_Tha- that's not Mato... Is it?_ Ukyo would have rubbed her eyes, if her arms didn't feel like they were made out of lead. Turning her head a little, she stared at Kagome and Inuyasha, who were still standing at the sidelines. It seemed they were as stunned by this new arrival as Ukyo and the Demons were.

"Ssss, another stupid half-breed."

"Kill it!"

"Oh God, are you guys ever stupid." Raising his arms, Hanyou Mato curled his fingers, a predatory grin sweeping his lips back. "Sankon Tessou revised; Wild Reaping Reaver!" Darting forward, he spun in a circle, a dozen lines of crackling yellow light tracing the path where his claws sliced. An instant after he stopped, the Demons who were unlucky enough to be within the attack's area of effect collapsed into bloody chunks.

The remainder of the Demons were smart enough to flee en masse.

"Demons, such a pain in my ass." Sighing, Hanyou Mato shook out his hands and spun on his heel. "Ukyo, how ya doin'?"

"I'm-" Ukyo's sudden smile froze, as a thought occurred to her. _He knows me by name... Dammit, this Mato must already have an Ukyo of his own._ Her smile wavered between widening and outright collapsing. _Damn, damn, DAMMIT! Why can't I ever win?_ "I-I'm fine... S-sugar."

"Yeah right." Snorting, Hanyou Mato walked over and picked the okonomiyaki chef up by the waist. "You're such a pain in the ass sometimes, y'know that."

"I'll bet you say that to all the Uk- er, girls." _Oh dammit, don't start blubbering now dummy._ Fighting back tears of frustration, Ukyo tried to lift her arms to smack Mato one. "Dammit! You jerk! Why do you always have to be so hard to find!"

"What? Me hard to find? Do you know how much crap I've been through trying to fi-"

"Shut up! I finally manage to track one of you down, and you're a stupid Demon who already has one of me!" Anger gave her limbs strength, and she pounded her small fists against his chest, venting all her pent up feelings on him.

"One of me? What the hell are you talking about? Seriously Ukyo, I think you hit your head one too many times today."

"Shut up! Just shut up you stupid jerk!" Ukyo kicked her feet, flailing her legs about uselessly more than she connected with his shins. "I wish I'd never met you! You stupid Angel jerk!"

Growling, Hanyou Mato dropped Ukyo on her butt and stepped away, crossing his arms over his chest. "Ungrateful little- God, I can't believe I _died_ for you. Tch."

"...Wh- what did you say?" Tears trickling down her cheeks, Ukyo stared up at him. Between the crying, and the exaustion, and the pain in her butt, it was understandable that she was having trouble putting everything together.

"I said; I can't believe I died for your ungrateful, stuck up, _pain in my a-_" Something roughly slammed into his chest, cutting him off. "Gff!"

"It's you! You stupid, stupid JERK! It's really _you_!" Tears streaming down her face, Ukyo buried her face in his chest, clinging tightly to him. _Somehow, it's him! It's really that big stupid dead jerk!_

"I, uh... I'm happy to see you too? Er, sorta." Confused, Hanyou Mato patted Ukyo on the back.

"But..." Ukyo pulled her head back to stare at him. "Why do you look so different?" Reaching up, she lightly yanked on a hank of stark white hair. "And your eyes? And those weird things on your arms?"

"Ow, hair." Lifting a hand to pull Ukyo's fingers from his hair, he wagged his arm, making the wrapping of brown cloth buckled around his arm from wrist to forearm shake a little. "It's a kind of a style thing... As for the rest..." Dragging his fingers through his hair, he shook it out a little. In a matter of seconds, the white strands darkened to black and shrank until they were their normal length. "It's just an emulation, really." Raking his fingers through his shaggy bangs, he grinned. "Better?" His bright green eyes glittered in their usual way, unearthly and comforting at the same time.

"...Yeah... Scary, but better." Ukyo tugged on his dark hair a few times, just to reassure herself it was really him. "But... I thought you died, I _saw_ you _die_." Hot tears prickled at the corners of her eyes again, threatening to spill down her already damp cheeks.

"Oh, that." Shrugging, Mato smirked, a hint of fang peeking out from behind his lips. "I got better."

Ukyo stared at him through narrowed eyes. "People don't get better from being dead, jackass."

"That's exactly what Ranma said when I started looking for you." Mato snorted. "Ok, either I got better, or you're just out of your freaking mind. Which is it gonna be?"

"Jack-"

"Jackass, yeah, I get it." Sighing, Mato shook his head. "You're such a pain."

"Jackass." Sighing, Ukyo leaned against his chest. "... I don't get why I couldn't find any others of you. I ran into plenty of other versions of everyone else, just... None of you."

"Oh, that's easy. There's only one of me."

"What?"

"Wha'd you expect? You think God would ride my Goddamn ass this hard if there were more than one of me?" Snorting, Mato lightly tapped Ukyo on the top of her head with his knuckles. "Idiot. Do you know what kinda trouble it would cause if there was more than just me running around between dimensions?"

"Shaddap." Nuzzling her face into his chest, she ignored the rapping against the top of her skull. "Just hold me, jackass."

"Tch, whatever." Wrapping an arm around Ukyo's shoulders, Mato let out a sigh. "Let's just go home already."

"What? We can't go right now."

"What? Why the hell not?"

"What about them?" Ukyo pointed at Kagome and Inuyasha, who were still standing in the exact same spot, staring blankly at the pair.

"Who, them? Screw 'em, they'll be fine."

"Idiot! I owe them one for saving my ass. The least we could do is help them."

"No, the least we could do is _nothing_." Irritation crept into his voice. After all the crap he'd been through, Mato just wanted to up and leave.

"Jackass, either we help them, or I'll never forgive you." She glared up at him, thought he seemed unmoved by the threat. "I'll kick your ass." Still nothing. "... I'll feed you nothing but burnt okonomiyaki, and let Shampoo into your room when you're sleeping."

"Alright! God dammit, alright! Just shut up already! God! five minutes in, and you're already a pain in my ass."

"What? _I'm_ a pain in the ass? Which one of us _died_ and left the other all alone? Which one of us deci- MRPH!" A pair of lips roughly pressed against hers, cutting off Ukyo in mid-tirade. After a moment or two of indignant struggling, she threw her arms around Mato's neck, and leaned into the kiss, pressing her body against his.

_That shut her up..._

-

Well, that's another chapter done. Finally, the pair has linked back up, and I don't have to keep bouncing the chapter between the two of them anymore. Frankly, my fingers were getting a little tired from all the typing today, I punched out this chapter in one long sitting, as it were. I used the damn shift key so much, my right pinky is killing me whenever I use it.

Ok, for all of you who've been just aching to see some pretty, pretty art (or not) I have a special treat in store for you. This picture was drawn almost _exactly_ four years ago, so you can not only see what the character looks like, but just how long he's been around. Actually, the character is around three times older than the pic, but whatever. I'm sure you've guessed who it is by now, so get ready for a little typing, since FF dot net doesn't let us use hotlinking.

http :// i9 dot photobucket dot com/albums/a65/mato_hibiki/Matotothecore dot jpg

Simply remove the spaces, and change the word 'dot' to a period, and you're set. Sure, it's a bit rough, but don't complain, since you're getting art for free. Credit goes to the artist who made it for me as a gift, oh so long ago... Uhhh, crap. Ok, so I can't remember her name right now. Sue me. I'll go digging around and find it later, ok?

Review reply time!

Teturo- Yeah, I really couldn't think of anyone else who could screw up on such a massive level save Happousai and Genma. As for Ryuu, well, think about it. In the normal Ranmaverse, after a fight, he went on his merry way, and promised to be a good boy. Now, in a world where Ranma is a student of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, and packs a katana, things are likely to get a bit more messy. Maybe I'll bring a different Ryuu in and give him another shot in a future chapter.

Scourgeofthegalaxy- Well, I was bound to include something off the wall at some point, right? Nothing is nearly as funny as a facefault, and Inuyasha is an involuntary master of it.

Pryde Kitty- Look, I'm craving chocolate, alright? It seemed like an easy way to get some quick and easy. As for how the last chapter ended, it was more of a downer finish, I think. Sure, compared to all my other chapter endings, it seemed a little flat. I think if you look at the chapter on it's own merit, it's a downer, as was the intent.

Thanks for the compliments on the action. I pushed the excitement in that chapter pretty high, I think, and rather than end the thing on an emotional high of a cliffhanger, I wanted to yank the rug out from under my reader's collective feet. I mean, be honest here. After all the times I've left you all on a brutal cliffhanger, or a joke, this is the last thing you saw coming, right?

As for the merits of the Nabiki vs Akane views you have... I think we have to agree to disagree. Nabiki is the last person you could trust. Nabiki never claims to not be a good person, she's just honest about what she values most. As for the financial issue, I don't think we've ever had a CANON mention of any of Nabiki's money going to the family, as far as I can recall. I could be wrong, and if shown proof, I will publicly admit that I was wrong.

Not likely to happen, heh, because I think I'm right, but there you go.

As for Akane... Akane lacks the ability to simply let things go. That leads to 'ten year old hand in the cookie jar syndrome'. When you catch a kid with his hand in the cookie jar, he'll outright lie. Hilarious, and true. Nobody wants to admit to anything, for fear of being caught out, or getting in trouble. Couple that with some serious anger problems, and well...

When caught close to Ranma, Akane tends to bonk him one. I'm not defending this, it's just what happens, though it's mostly played for laughs.

In private, we've all seen Akane _NOT_ smacking the poor boy upside the head.

What's this all mean? It means that Takahashi likes slapstick, and knows a good running gag when she sees one. All in all, try to give Akane a bit of leeway, and try to remember all the times she's brought Ranma a kettle of hot water when he really needed it.

In short, being a liar doesn't make you always a bad person, just as being honest doesn't make you a good person. After all, Mato's a total jackass, and yet everyone seems to like him, right?

Wow, long sidetrack on that one.

itachi-was-mine- Um, sorry, I'm kind of soured on the idea of marriage, after I got dumped shortly before I was going to propose. So, um, yeah. Heh. Thanks for the review. Send chocolate instead, I WILL accept that.

That and flowers.

...What? They smell nice!

Sakura Lisel- You're lucky, I almost posted this chapter without seeing you'd sent in a review. Almost, but not quite. And yeah, you'd think Ukyo would learn by now to _think_ before she opened her mouth, but no, of course not. Besides, sometimes the trouble doesn't even have the decency to wait until the next world before jumping into your lap.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for their reviews. I pegged out this chapter a little longer than the last one, I think. Next chapter should be the last of the Inuyasha events, though it _might_ stretch out into one more half after that, depending on how long it goes.

After all, somebody has a date with the Devil, no?

Until next time.

Oh, one last thing. Nobody DARE correct me on the spelling on Inuyasha's sword. It's 'Tessaiga'. NOT 'Tetsusaiga'. The 'Tsu' is a _small tsu_, meaning that one is supposed to double the first constanant of the next character. The first few volumes of the manga made that mistake too, and by then, it was a little late to correct the mistake.

Again; The manga is _wrong_.

Don't believe me? Go watch a couple episodes of the Naruto Shippuden early stuff. There's a cute little scene tucked in there, where Sakura draws a 'tsu' character. Specifically, a _small tsu_, explaining why there are TWO letter 'P's in 'Shippuden'.

GOT IT? GOOD! I'm going back to my damn manga now!


	6. Chapter 6

Warm heat flooded her entire body, running through her like a wild river of sensation. _Oh God, even my toes feel tingly. Did it always feel this good to kiss the jackass?_ Taking a double-fistfull of ripped yellow tunic, she pulled herself closer, straining up an inch to get closer to the source of the wonderful feeling.

"Mmmm....Aaah?" Ukyo blinked, puzzled. _Wait, since when was he this tall?_ Breaking the kiss with some reluctance, she bounced on the balls of her feet a few times, then got up on her tiptoes. _ Oh man, there's no way Mato was THIS tall._ Frowning, Ukyo inched back a bit and crossed her arms over her chest. "Sugar, did you get tall- aaaaa... Ack."

"... Ok, what's with the weird noises?" Tilting his head to the side a bit, Mato's eyes narrowed. "Was it the hair? Because, I can explain that one."

"N-no! That's not it at _all_." Shaking her head quickly, Ukyo put a hand atop her head, then slid it forward. It bumped into Mato's collarbone. _Oh boy. This is a problem._ "You're... Huge." Boggling a little, Ukyo stepped back a few feet, staring with very wide eyes. "You've got..." She made a few vague gestures with her hands, trying to find the words to explain the problem.

"... A shirt on? New haircut? Stubble?" Mato stroked his chin and cheeks for a moment. "Nnnnope, good there."

Ukyo held up her arms and crossed them at the wrists, making an X shape. "Not even close." _How the heck did this happen to him?_ "You're... A foot taller Mato. You've got to have put on at _least_ ten pounds of muscle for every inch you grew, and you _look_-" She trailed off. "..._Hunky_."

"Dunky?" Mato gave her an odd look.

"I said _HUNKY_. You're... Older. Way older." _Akane was always saying how she didn't get why her sister was into older men... THIS is why._ Ukyo felt a tingle at the small of her back. "Wh- buh... How? How in the world-"

"Multiverse."

"What?"

"Multiple universes. One you start jumping between dimensions, 'what in the world' doesn't even _begin_ to cover all the weird stuff you can see." Smiling a little, Mato wagged a finger at her. "It pays to be accurate y'know."

"Fine, whatever." _Still a pain, at least that hasn't changed._ "Seriously Mato, you look at least five years older." Despite the confusion, Ukyo couldn't help but realize that at least one thought in her head was as clear as very expensive crystal. _Oh boy Ukyo, did you pick a winner. Yum yum._ "... Ok, that was a very weird thing to think."

"What was?"

"Um, nevermind!" Shaking her head, Ukyo began a slow walk around Mato, a pace that quickened considerably as she rounded his side, and slowed to a crawl as her eyes locked on his backside.

"Hey, I'm not a piece of meat."

_More like eye-candy._ "Sorry!" Ripping her gaze away, she completed her circle and stared at him, arms crossed over her chest. _This is very weird, and very yumm- NO! Bad Ukyo! Figure out what the heck happened first, fantasize later._ "Five, maybe four years older... Still, how-"

"More like ten, at least." Mato scratched his cheek. "Or twelve, I dunno. I lose track all the time."

"Yeah, but... People don't just get suddenly older sugar. Not even you do that." Frowning, Ukyo tapped her fingers on her arm, thinking hard.

"Well duh. This is my original body."

"...What?"

"Whaddya mean 'what'? You think that little crapstorm of spare parts was _my_ body? It was a piece of junk."

Ukyo stared blankly for several seconds. "... _What?_ Sugar, you beat the crap outta Ryoga, knocked out Ranma in one blow-"

"To be fair, that was a sucker punch."

"You took on that bimbo Shampoo and her dried up mummy of a granny at the same time, and made them run away... _AND_ killed a God knows how old Chinese Demon, with your _bare hands_! _That's_ your definition of _CRAPPY_?"

"...Yup."

Ukyo looked like she was either going to faint, or clobber him. Or both. "You-"

"Look Ukyo, this is my body, my _real_ body." He tapped his chest. "The one I've had for most of my life. It's not something somebody whipped up out of normal human building blocks on the spur of the moment." Mato stuffed his hands into his pockets. "It makes a huge difference."

She took a moment to digest that. "..._Most_ of your life?" Ukyo arched an eyebrow.

"Long story, don't ask... You don't wanna know." Sighing, Mato tilted his head back, looking up at the sky. "Needless to say, you don't need to worry about me anymore. Not unless the moon decides to fall out of the sky... And, I dunno, catches on fire or something."

Ukyo stared at him.

"If it's not on fire, we're good."

Ukyo threw her hands into the air, making a disgusted noise. "I give up! I don't know if I should kiss you or kick your ass!"

"Neither would probably be best, you're underage y'know."

"Don't you start with that buster. You kissed me first, and I'll be damned if I let you cut me off now!" Shaking her fist at him, Ukyo stomped over, grabbed a fistfull of his shirt, and tugged.

"..." _She's got me on that one._

"Rrrr." Grumbling, Ukyo got up on her tip-toes, straining to stretch her neck upwards. "Rrrggh." Grabbing his shirt with both hands, she hauled on it, balancing on the very ends of her toes. "_Rrrghhh._" Her lips _almost_ reached his chin.

"...Uh, problem?"

"Rrr, shut up and lean down, you're too damn tall."

"Ahem." A female voice cut in from off to the side.

"Eep." Blushing, Ukyo froze in place for a moment, then slowly turned her head to see what the problem was.

Inuyasha and Kagome were both standing a short ways away. Both were very red, and looking a little uncomfortable, and neither one of them was actually looking in their direction. "Can we _go_ now?" An ear twitched atop the half-Demon's head.

"Meh, whatever." Shrugging, Mato looked around for a moment. "Ok, the landscape's all messed up. I never spent enough time down that well to figure out exactly what the countryside looks like, so you'll have to lead us there."

"Why should I?" Huffing, Inuyasha continued to avoid eye contact.

"Mutt."

"What was that?!" Growling, Inuyasha whipped around to glare at the offending fellow, hands twitching as if he was tempted to stomp over there and cut him to ribbons.

"What're you, four? Grow the hell up." Scooping Ukyo up in his arms, Mato looked around a last time, then shook his head. "Meh." He glanced back at Inuyasha. "I don't have the paitience to indulge your need to be a whiney, childish, brat. You wanna do this by yourself? Fine, go right ahead. But, if you want this crap done quick and right, you come find us." With that he bounded off.

"Fine! Good riddance! We didn't need you and your useless Human anyway! Me an' Kagome can handle this fine on our own!" Growling, Inuyasha turned to look back at Kagome. "Right Kagome?"

"... Inuyasha." Kagome's eye twitched. "Sit."

WHAM!

"GYAGH!"

-

"Wow, you guys caught up pretty fast." Trying not to smirk, and failing, Mato bounded along beside the half-Demon. "...Why's your face all dirty?"

"Shut up." Not looking very pleased at all, Inuyasha sailed along, touching down on the ground occasionally, only to leap back into the sky once more. It was a fairly rapid way to cover ground, and a lot quieter than simply running.

"Whatever." Frowning, Mato glanced around. _Is it just me, or does it seem like the world's gone crazy here? I see a tram line about five blocks to the left I think, and a big ass building a few miles ahead... But everything around me otherwise looks like open countryside. This is a bit of a new one, even for me._ Resisting the urge to sigh, Mato glanced down at the girl in his arms.

Who, for her part, was making the most of the situation. Ukyo had both hands hanging onto his shirt, and had her head nestled against his chest, a dopey smile on her face.

_Yeash..._ This time he did sigh. "Shouldn't be much farther now... I suppose it's time for the pain in the ass lackeys to show up and give us a hard time, or something."

"What? Don't be stupid. We're still a long way away from the well, and there's nobody out here in the middle of nowh- YOW!" Something thin, sharp, and painful slammed into Inuyasha's side, knocking him out of the air. Even though he was surprised, the half-Demon still had enough presence of mind to twist around and take the brunt of the fall, protecting Kagome from harm. "...Who. Did. That?" Kagome was fine, but it'd take a lot more than _that_ to make him happy about any of this.

"Awww, poor puppy fell down?" A sultry voice drifted down from the sky, as did a dark haired woman dressed in elegant flowing robes. Hiding her mouth behind a paper fan, she drifted lazily down to the ground atop a large feather.

_Well, I'll be that had to sting._ Smirking a little, Mato took his time to circle back, keeping the treeline between himself and the newcomer. _I'll just plunk Ukyo down with Kags, and then go deal with the mutt, his angst, and the fan chick. All in a day's work, as USUAL._ Shaking his head, Mato waved at Kagome from behind a tree, setting Ukyo down with his other arm. _Pain in my ass, tch._

"Don't think I don't see you there, little human." Still hiding her mouth behind the fan, the woman arched a brow at the half-Demon. "Oh my, did I hurt you very badly, poor puppy? A shame."

Kagome trotted over after Inuyasha shoved her away with a scowl. Clearly, he wanted her to be out of the line of fire when he finally lost his temper. Which, as usual, wouldn't be taking very long. _That BITCH._ He bared his fangs in a snarl.

"Just hide here a sec, you two are totally useless in a situation like this."

"What?! If I had my bow, I could-"

"Yeah, but ya don't. So it's 'could, but really can't' so shut up and keep outta trouble for like... Three minutes."

"Rrrrr, you bitch... I'll kill you for that one!" For some reason, the half-Demon was having a lot of trouble just getting up off of the ground. Ground stained a dark red.

"Oh, if only you could stand. A pity my wind blades struck you in the legs so hard, now isn't it?"

"Yeah yeah, blah blah. Pity, shame, shaddap already." Sighing, Mato stepped out from behind the trees, scratching his head. _The mutt should be healed in a minute or two. All I need to do really, is drag out the yapping for a bit, then he can get up and deal with this crap instead of ME._

"Oh my, you look... Delicious." Kagura stared at the new pest over the edge of her fan, a hint of red creeping across her cheeks. _Maybe I'll kill the others, and save this one for some fun... He looks... Very appetizing. _Chuckling to herself, the Demon woman took a moment to indulge herself in what she could do to the new mortal. It was _not_ rated G at all. And hardly any of it involved pants.

Or soy sauce, if any of you are worried about _that_ sort of thing. Wrong kind of tasty. Get your minds into the gutter.

_Why does everyone look at me like I'm a piece of meat? It's really insulting sometimes._ Sighing, Mato pinched the bridge of his nose. He was content to stall, and resisting the urge to let out a few scathing, insulting comments about the Demon's parentage. It was difficult to decide which was more important at the moment.

"I think I'll cut your arms and legs, just enough so you can't move... Then I'll have a little fun with you." Laughing quietly to herself, Kagura lifted her fan above her head, turning just enough to let the human see her profile. _Perhaps he'll come without a fight once he sees my obvious assets. Men do think with their eyes more than their brains._ "If you're very good, I may even make you my pet." Her smile turned nasty. "But if you fail to impress me, I'll kill you like this mutt here!" Her arm snapped down, and a tangled weave of thickened air charged with enough Demonic energy to make it visible, raced towards the prone Inuyasha. Clearly, she ment to finish the half-Demon off quickly, before he had a chance to recover.

A blur of black and yellow darted in between the two enemies, stooped over low to the ground.

"Bakusai Tenketsu revised; Loose Earth Buffer!" There was a faint crackle, a mere instant before a thick wall of earth burst from the ground between Kagura and Inuyasha. The wind blades slammed into the mass of dirt, and sent it flying everywhere, literally tearing the feeble defense apart.

_Wh- what was THAT?_ Stepping back a few paces, Kagura held up her fan again, readying herself to strike, should whatever it was that had blocked her attack show up again. "A feeble defense, whatever it was! I am mistress of the air, and nothing can withsta- ah?"

Standing between Kagura and a still mostly-fine Inuyasha, Mato was scratching his cheek, looking rather unconcerned. One hand was still stuffed into his pocket. "Fine, just call me 'El Viento' then." Smirking, he lifted his hand into the air above his head. "Because you may be the 'mistress of air' but..." Curling his fingers into his palm to make a fist, his eyes flashed bright green, twinkling with good natured menace. "I am the WIND! Hiryu Shoten Ha horizontal revised!" Shifting back, Mato dropped his fist to his side, then stepped forwards as he punched the air before him. A cylinder of twisting air burst from his arm, and tore it's way through the space between himself and Kagura in an instant.

Opening her mouth as she brought her fan down, Kagura was an instant too late. The wild spiral of wind slammed into her body, lifting her into the air and hurling her away like an errant leaf.

"Oh yeah..." Shading his eyes with a hand, Mato smirked as he watched the Demon sail into the distance. "She's not coming down for a long time... I love fighting wind Demons. They're so light, it's just so damn easy to fling 'em away."

Kagome stepped out from behind the tree, staring at the torn up ground, Mato, and finally- "Inuyasha!" Running over to the half-Demon's side, she knelt down, grabbing a handful of his bright red haori. "Are you ok?"

"Keh! I'm fine, it'll take more than- eh?" Blinking, he stared at Kagome as she flung her arms around him, and buried her face in his shoulder. After a moment, he slid one arm around her, keeping his big mouth shut for once.

"... You know she's just gonna come back, right?" Ukyo slowly walked over to Mato's side, staring at how badly he'd torn up the ground. _Wow, that's... A big change from how he used to be. Fighting Ryoga took everything out of him that first time, now..._ She tilted her head back to stare at his profile. _He only used one hand, and didn't even bother to MOVE to pull that technique off. Even Ranma can't do that without an opponent's hot aura and a few fancy steps. He's a little scary._

"And probably be very pissed off at me, yes."

"Probably?"

"Well, there's a pretty good chance that she'll come back frothing mad... I like to keep an open mind." Stuffing his other hand into his pocket, Mato continued to smirk, mainly at the thought of someone being frothing mad at him. It was an amusing mental image.

"Right. Whatever you say sugar." Sighing, Ukyo leaned against his side. _This is so weird, I always figured that Mato was just a bit of a jackass. I even thought he might be a little younger than me, and was just too serious for his age. But... I never would have dreamed that he'd be nearly twice my age._ Ukyo stood there silently, trying to decide how she felt about the situation, and if she even cared at all. _And the way he fights... Oh, he said he ran into Ranma when he started looking for me. I hope he didn't hurt him._ A mental image of Mato flicking Ranma away with a single finger popped into her head. _No way, not that easy._ She turned her gaze up to Mato's face again. _Right?_

-

"Are we there yet?"

"No!"

"Are we there yet?"

"NO!"

"Are we th-"

"RRGGGHHH!"

"Hey, if I gotta carry all three of you, I'm gonna damn well be amused by it. Got it?" Twisting his mouth up a little, Mato carried Inuyasha over one shoulder, Kagome over the other, and Ukyo in his arms. _Good God, I feel like a friggin' bus. Is that what I've been reduced to? Going from... _"...Huh."

"What _now?_" Inuyasha's eye _twitched_. The past few minutes of life would be dubbed as 'sheer hell' for easy reference. He was clearly _not_ in a good mood. "What's your damn problem now?"

"Well, I just can't think of a good word to describe what it is that I do." Frowning, Mato bounded easily along, skimming across the occasional treebranch that whipped into his path, before taking to the sky with a careless leap once more.

"Well, what would you say to describe yourself?" Kagome was slightly less bothered by the strange fellow, mainly because he seemed to come from the same time as her. It felt so liberating to be able to use pop culture references again, and not have to _explain_ them in great detail.

"In a word... Esoteric."

"...What?"

"You haven't been studying much, have you?" He shot a glance over his shoulder at the schoolgirl. "You're never gonna graduate at _this_ rate Kags."

"Yeah, well I- AH! Tree!"

"Oh relax, it's just a tree." Thudding feet-first into the trunk, Mato arched his back.

What happen next, horribly bent physics.

A quick backflip, and Mato firmly planted his heels on the other side of the tree's trunk, and kicked off of it, sailing into the air once more."See? Not a problem."

"Guh, wuh, buh... Whaddya mean 'not a problem'?! That was a problem! That was a big problem!"

"What? I just went around it."

Kagome sputtered a few times. "But you can't just slam into a tree at thirty miles an hour, spin a little, and wind up on the other side like it wasn't a problem, WITHOUT TOUCHING ANYTHING IN BETWEEN!"

"C'mon, I do stuff like that all the time." Humming a little, Mato blithely continued on his way, ignoring Kagome's ranting. He glanced down at the girl in his arms, who, it seemed, was content to shut out the entire world and enjoy the ride. Even all the screaming and thumping hadn't done a thing to damage her simple joy. Also, there was the fact that the toll taken from firing off her chi blast had finally caught up with her, leaving her fairly mentally drained. "Look, I didn't exactly _break_ any Newtonian laws, just... Bent them a little."

"You can't BEND the laws of physics!" Kagome would've hauled on his ears, if Mato's had been furry, pointed, and perched atop his head like Inuyasha's were. Instead, she held on for dear life and yelled. Oh, how she yelled.

"I can too, I do it all the time. Hell, even my existence bends reality around me." Another branch flashed into view, semi-parallel to his flight path. Letting one foot touch down, he glided along it's length, then kicked off at the end. "That's why I have the chains around me."

"You'll rupture the space time conti- what? What chains? I don't see any chains!"

"Well, they're kinda Quantum in nature, so that's not really a surprise." The faint, near-real jingle and clank of corroded, semi-perceptible metal danced at the edge of his perception. After a moment, he tuned the sound out again. "But trust me, they're there." _Them, and the locks I keep it together with. I should really do something about my essence corrupting the chain, but... Eh, whatever. It's not really my problem, well, it is but... Not once it bursts._ A wolfish smile curled his lips. _Then it's everyone else's problem._ "Anyway, hang on."

"Eh?" Kagome blinked a few times, looking around. "Why, what's happening?"

Shrugging, Mato tapped his foot against a passing tree, and shifted his angle of flight a little.

An instant later, the trees around the four were torn to ribbons. It seemed the very air around them was lashing out at every inch of matter that wasn't as dense as solid rock.

"EEP!"

"Yeah, that." Easily gliding to the ground, Mato lightly shrugged off the pair, and set Ukyo on her feet. He lightly tapped the chef on the head. "Time to hide again, alright?" He glanced at Kagome. "I didn't tell ya because I knew you'd spaz out. Now go take Ukyo and your wounded little buddy somewhere safe. I guess you could take the gag out too... If you really have to."

"Gag? What gag?" Turning to look at him, Kagome suddenly noticed the fact that Inuyasha's mouth had been stuffed with about half a dozen yellow bandannas, and his wrists had been tied together with another one. "When the heck did that happen?" Grabbing Inuyasha's hair with one hand, she linked arms with Ukyo, and fairly dragged the two away. _I'll take the gag out later. If he yells, and he will, he'll attract too much attention. And with his wound still... I've gotta keep him safe._

"So, you're back again, eh lightweight?" Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Mato glanced off to the side, noticing absently that the ground and trees had been covered in snow for some time now. _Oh totally weird. I guess time's messed up so much that the seasons are slipping loose now too._ "And, I think you brought a friend with you. No?" A smirk curled one corner of his mouth upwards, baring a hint of fang.

"Very good tasty boy. Very good." Kagura remained where she was, out of sight behind a snow speckled tree. "I don't know how you spotted my sister, but-"

"Kanna, the little girl with the mirror, if I remember right." He glanced over at the tree the Demon was hiding behind. "I'll give you one warning now, fan chick; The mirror won't help you in the slightest. I've tangled with it once awhile back and didn't have much of a problem with it. Today, it won't even make me blink."

"Hah, a foolish boast. I know you're lying." Kagura touched the tip of her folded fan to her lips. _He's lying, nobody has ever EASILY delt with the mirror. No one DEALS with the mirror, they merely survive._ "My sister would remember someone like yourself. You're bluffing to save your miserable life." _And that body of yours... So arrogant, but so unlike that filthy dog with the other humans._ Her tongue flicked out, trailing a wet circle around the tip of her fan. _I'll make you mine yet, mortal._

Kanna drifted close to her sister, holding a mirror between her small hands. "Sister, shall I-"

"Just a little, I want enough of him left to keep for myself." Kagura's fingers tightened around her fan, squeezing it. _With him, I can use his power to kill Naraku, and free myself from his grasp. Then..._ Her tongue flicked another circle around the tip of her fan. _I'll keep him forever. and richly award my 'hero' for saving me._ Kagura placed her free hand to her chest, feeling empty, in spite of the tickle running along the length of her spine. A muted, delighted thrill at the thought of what she'd do to her new human pet once she was free. "Now Kanna."

The mirror sparkled in the cold winter air.

-

Well I'm done another chapter. Sorry there was such a huge delay from what I usually do, but I've had a metric ass ton of stuff to do, what with Christmas coming up. So you'll all have to make do with slightly longer, somewhat delayed chapter releases until... Uh, newyears I guess? Maybe right after boxing day. Depends.

If the chapter feels like it clunks a little in between breaks or paragraphs, yeah, I noticed it too. Not much I can do really, all things considered. I can usually make an edit or two, but I find that some changes mean I have to rewrite entire pages of work. So, you suffer a little clunk or two, but in the end get a decent result, I think.

Also, another cliffhanger ending. That's right. _Someone_ didn't like the downer ending of a certain chapter (not that I can blame them, but it was written that way by intent) so you get a more usual ending from me once more.

You can't say that I don't listen to my fans, dammit.

Now say you love me, and want to give me Christmas related goodies.

Review reply time!

Teruro- Heh, what can I say to that one? Kagome makes Inuyasha slam his face into the ground to make up for how much she tolerates his somewhat bratty behavior. I'd say it evens out... But yeah, when she's not doing that, she's very Ukyo-like.

Jusenkyo- Shock! Reunion! One! Word! Sentences! Yay! Sorry, I shouldn't play with the comment reply section like that, but I couldn't resist. The help will come in the form of EVERYONE trying to kill Mato, like usual, right? Also, three dots in a row are known as an elipsis. It denotes a trailing off of speech, and I have a lot of characters doing that when I write. Or, sometimes I have something cut them off in mid sen-

Yeah, the art was pretty sweet, wasn't it? I utterly suck at drawing, but I guess my writing makes up for that. (I hope!) Mato never really had any color to his eyes, not until that picture was done. I was pretty damn surprised, I even mentioned it to the artist. I remember that conversation vividly.

"Hey, green? Mato doesn't have green eyes!"

"Ok, fine, I messed up, sorry! What color are the then? I'll change them."

"... Green is fine." Mutter. "He never actually had an eye color before."

"Yes yes, shut up."

So, yeah... I'm also a jerk like Mato sometimes it seems. Well, they say write what you know, right? Apparently, I also know what it's like to be a chick, a dude, a Demon, God, a half-Demon, a time travelling school girl, an idiot, a Chinese girl, a withered up old crone, a guy who turns into a duck...

... I mean, hey, look at that bird.

Pryde Kitty- Good. LIKE IT! Nah, kidding, sorry. Yes, Ukyo loves Mato, some freaky Demon fan chick loves Mato, the IRS loves Ma- wait, what? As for length, I'll try and shoot for around the same length as the last book. It was roughly the size of a decent novel, not counting all my pages of post script. I keep nearly all my other work on hold until I've finished this one.

Oh sure, I'm chipping away at my original novel ( The Sword Saint, over at fiction press dot net, hint hint) but other than that, this gets my primary focus, until the book is done. After that, I'll probably finish up one of my other works. Or, I'll be inspired to write another book. About what? I dunno yet, that's too far in the future to think about right now. Right now, Demonic ass needs some kicking.

Feed the addiction!

James Birdsong- Yay, glad to hear you approve!

Scourgeofthegalaxy- Oh, geez, don't damage anything you may need to use in the future. Send me goodies as punishment for yourself instead. Glad you like the Inuyasha stuff. But you're totally wrong about seeing any other Takahashi works in the making from me. I've never read any of her other works. Hell, I haven't even finished the damn Inuyasha MANGA yet! Ugh! That means I've never read Uresei Yatsura, Mason Ikoku, Mermaid's Scar, Runic Theater, or... Didn't she write One Pound Gospel too?

Good God, what a list of stuff she's done. And I've read barely ANY of it! AGH! So, sorry to deny your prayers, but that's the way it is. Inuyasha got an 'in' on this, because it's feasible to be linked closer than any other series on the entire planet. I don't need go into how, I hope you're all on the same page as me on this one.

Though, I might add different dimensional flavors if the fans can agree on a few they'd like to see. Also, I'm gonna have to limit it by stuff I've either seen, read, or can reasonably fake it out. The polls are open, and for a limited time.

Back to the reply though, sorry for side-tracking like that. Thanks for the review, and glad you liked it.

And, ah! People talking to each other through the reply section? That's not possible! How'd you squeeze between the lines inbetween the boxes like that?

And finally, before I go, a tiny scene that got snipped from the end of the chapter, just to make it a bit more neat. An omake, if you will.

-

Naraku lifted his head, hearing an odd fluttering sound.

Standing up from his seat beside the window, he spared a glance outside, at the snow filled courtyard below. Striding across the room, he took a small wooden box from a high shelf, and carefully opened the top. "Hmm." Peering inside, his pale lips curved into a puzzled frown. "How odd, it's never done that before."

Inside the box, a heart fluttered wildly, as if it were excited.

-

Yeah, I know. Heavy on the symbolic, but gross. A heart in a box, and the box isn't heart-shaped. Terrible song reference! So, yeah, see what you missed out on? Gross stuff and bad references.

This is why I've skipped out on omakes, I guess.

Until next time.


	7. Chapter 7

Nothing happened.

"... Um." Kanna stared down at the mirror she held, then looked over at Kagura. "It missed."

"... Seriously? That was your plan?" Mato pulled a hand from his pocket, and pointed a finger at the mirror the little Demon girl carried. "That?" Sighing, he shook his head. "Just to stay true to form, now I gotta kick your ass." He shook his head again. "A mirror, really. Just _insulting_. Besides, that thing'll _never_ work on _me_."

-

Ukyo's mind was reeling, and not just from the multiple shocks to her system she'd suffered.

_Ugh, I can't believe you. All my help, and you're still wafting around like fluff in the breeze?_

_Shut up._

_Tch, make me, bimbo. I can say whatever I wanna._

_What did you call me?_

_Bimbo. Slut. A boring, abstractly crafted, faux-image of an annoying chick's repressed sexual desires. La~ame._

_Rrrr, you-_

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP! I can't even hear myself THINK!"

_... What, you think you're speaking outloud right now?_

Ukyo sweatdropped, considering just what exactly she was perceiving. "Um... Where did the trees get to?" Looking around, the chef scratched the back of her head, confused. "And why is it so dark?"

_Because we're inside your head, duh. Were you expecting a window or something?_

"Well, no, but... Wait. Who the hell are you?" Ukyo crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. "And why does it sound like you're a guy?" Like all humans, Ukyo's thoughts sounded like her own voice to her. The fact that there was a very male sounding voice in her head was disturbing, to say the lead. "I'll bet it doesn't get any better from here on in."

_You mean here on out. And I'm a guy, duh._

"... I didn't say that out loud, did I?"

_Technically, you didn't say anything. We're in your head. Moron._

"... Ok, it's really freaky to be talking to a voice from nowhere. Come out where I can see you."

_Whatever._ A sigh. _Pain in the ass._

"Wh- Mato?"

Another sigh. _My God, you are slow._ Raking a hand through his bangs, the green-eyed, raven-haired martial artist had his other hand stuffed into a pocket. _I'll probably have to explain everything to you, God, what a waste of my essence._

"..." Ukyo's eyes stared to roll, her lids starting to droop closed.

_Yeah, figures._ Sighing, he reached over and slapped Ukyo across the face. _Wake up._

Jerking at the slap, Ukyo growled and cocked back a fist. "You fu-"

_Oh please, like that even felt._

Shaking her head, Ukyo rubbed at her cheek. "Doesn't hurt... I remember something... Something like this before." Still rubbing her cheek, she dredged her memory. "It's all in my head, so it only hurts if I _think_ it does... Right?"

_Finally, she turns her brain on._

"Jerk. Why does part of my mind want to look like Mato." Ukyo looked around for a moment. "And where's the naked-me?"

_Right here._ Fading in beside Ukyo, Inner Ukyo hovered a few inches above the metaphorical ground, wearing nary a stitch of clothing. "I'm getting a little tired of being stuck in here with him.

_Sue me. All that could be crammed in here was pithy feelings._ Snort. _It's not my fault that I'm only a scrap of soul stuff._

"Wait, so you're not really Mato then?" Ukyo scrubbed at her face with both hands. Sure it wasn't real, but it seemed real enough to her, and that helped a little.

_I am. I'm the tiny bit of his soul that he managed to form over the last... Uh, year or so I guess._

Inner Ukyo grumped. "Why couldn't it have been _his_ repressed sexual desires instead?"

_Because raw chaos has a corrupting influence on human souls._

"Wait, what? I'm so confused... And tired..." Ukyo slumped to her knees, her upper body hanging limply.

"You used up too much energy back there." Inner Ukyo slid a hand over Ukyo's hair. "Let me do the talking, just rest for now." Staring at the shape that held the fiber of her being, Inner Ukyo stroked Ukyo's hair once more. "... The first thing she would want to know." Inner Ukyo straightened up a little, turning to address the intruder into their mind. "Is can we have sex?"

_... What is the matter with you?_

"Can't blame the sexual impulses personified for trying." Shrugging her bare shoulders, Inner Ukyo sighed. "How did you get in here any way? I don't remember letting anything in... Unless you're a bit of that Demon we killed."

_Close, but way off. I was torn free of his body, and jammed in here shortly before he died. Yeah, that's right, I'M the one who kicked that Demon's ass. You owe me like, three now._

"Three?"

_One for the Demon. One for coaxing that chi blast outta this feeble meatsack of a body._

"Meat sa-" Shaking her head, Inner Ukyo quashed the urge to _squash_ him. "What's the third one then?"

_It's so obvious... Who do you think forced that dimensional jump when the jerk with the axe showed up?_ Smirk. _God may have tried to damn you, but it ain't gonna happen on my shift._

Inner Ukyo's mouth opened, her lips forming a little o shape of surprise. "I see." She thought for a moment. "So, you know how to do that sort of thing?"

_Are you kidding? Made for combat since the day I- he... Me- we, argh. You know what I'm trying to say. The point is, 'made for combat' isn't just on the wrapper, it's etched right into the fiber of the very being._

"Somebody made you?"

_Seriously, where do you think people come from? You believe in God, don't you?_

Inner Ukyo sweatdropped. "Uh, yes? So you're saying that you're just like everyone else?"

_You're about a tenth right, and so very far off with all the rest._

"Well, what's the rest then?"

_You ever heard of a place called 'Daer Niktu'?_

-

Kagura snapped her fan down, sending several large tangles of Demonicly infused air scything through the forest. The empowered blades of wind razored through tree, rock, and bush like it were mere water. "Stop resisting me and bow to my might!" Frustration burned through her body, and seeped into her voice. Clearly, she was having a bit of trouble.

"Mmmm, naaah." Smirking, Mato spun and dipped, somehow finding the minuscule gaps in the deadly, semi-visible, blade-shaped gusts. "It's so much more fun to be pissing you off like this." Leaping into the air over another cluster of blades, he flipped over twice and arrowed toward the ground. "Besides, I'm kinda busy tryin' to crack that damn mirror." Landing in a crouch as another series of wind blades barely missed hitting him in the head, Mato stood and kicked the ground in a single, graceful motion.

Clumps of dirt, rocks, and chunks of wood sailed through the air, and clattered off of the eerily beautiful mirror Kanna took shelter behind. For the past few minutes, the frail looking Demon girl had been trying to draw a bead on the mortal, attempting to suck some portion of his soul away, while blocking everything he threw at her at the same time. The combined tasks had proven to be somewhat difficult, in the way that it was difficult to grab a greased pig.

... That was made of water. Yeah, it was hard.

"Y'know, this would go a lot faster if you just told me how to break the damn thing." Flipping into the air again, Mato perched atop a branch high above the ground, hands pressed onto the rough bark right between his feet. _One of the downsides of not having a soul; Not having as much creativity. Upside? I don't feel nearly as guilty beatin' the crap outta chicks._ A wild grin swept back his lips at the mere thought.

"Submit to me human, and I still may treat you gently!" Chest heaving from the effort of throwing so many attacks in such a short period of time, Kagura took a moment to catch her breath. This was by far the longest, most irritating fight she'd ever had.

"Nah!" Dropping off of the branch, Mato was suddenly at the wind Demon's side, snagging a fold of her kimono in one hand. "I'd much rather see you all hot and bothered." Smirking, he spun around, thumping his back against her's. "Also, airborne. Very airborne." Uncoiling his arm, he whipped the Demon around by her clothing, easily flinging her into the air.

Letting out a yelp, Kagura crashed through thin branches and large clusters of leaves, finding herself high above the treetops in a matter of seconds. For a moment, she flailed her limbs in surprise, before plucking one of the feathers from her hair and expanding it. An instant later, she was gently floating down, an irritated expression on her face. "I'm going to make him pay for that one."

Somewhere far down below Kagura, something bright and shiny burst through the umbrella of green spread out beneath her, hissing as it narrowly missed taking one of her ears off.

"Th-that was-" Turning her head to follow the path of the object, Kagura jerked back around, staring down at the treetops. _That was Kanna's mirror..._

-

Meanwhile, down below the treetops...

"Ok, this is really startin' to get on my nerves."

A mass of mud-colored tentacles writhed about as it rose up and seemed to close in on Mato from every side. An oily, sinister voice issued from the Baboon hide cloak that was somewhere in the middle of the writhing mess of tendrils. "You interest me, false Demon. You clothe yourself like a man, and you walk like one of us... Hmm, perhaps I can use one such as yourself."

"...Yeah, no, I don't think so." Frowning, Mato stuffed one hand into his pocket, his other arm curled around the small form of Kanna, who hung limply in his grip. She hadn't been too motivated to escape his hold, once it had become obvious that the beast that was attacking Mato wasn't too concerned with swatting away anything that got in it's path.

"I wouldn't consider it a service, mind you. Think of it more as... A partnership. I could richly reward your unique gifts for a... Few small favors." _Such as a Shikon jewel shard embedded in your mind to control you. I've love to be able to make that body of yours mine. The abilities it seems to possess... Perhaps a certain Priestess had her hand in this?_

"...Riiiight. Does this offer come with the usual, massive betrayal at the worst possible moment, or does that cost extra?" Frowning, Mato glanced around. _I wonder now... What was this dork's weakness? Was it the mutt's sword, or did an arrow chick have to smack him one? I think it was the sw- wait, maybe it was something else entirely? What the hell, I'll just kick his ass, and see if that works._

"I never betray a trust. I merely crush the weak fools who reach too far above their station. I give you my word that I would never seek to harm you." _After all, I want that body intact for when I possess it. I wouldn't dare risk damaging such a useful thing._

"Uh-huh. Keep talkin'." Looking around a bit, Mato frowned again. _All these wavy thingies are gettin' in my way. I can't see where the mutt and Kags are, and the damn stench is too much to smell 'em through. Uh, God. Seriously, is it that hard to get some speedstick around here? Have they invented bathing yet?_

Kanna shifted a bit in his grasp. "His weakness is-"

"Quiet, I'm thinkin'."

The Demon girl fell silent. She wasn't the talkative type anyway. She also wasn't a fool, and held no false hope that she was going to survive any of this. Naraku had betrayed her, as he betrayed all living things. It was his way, and it didn't surprise her in the slightest, she just hadn't expected it to come so soon upon her, and not at all like this.

"Well? Have you come to a decision?"

"...Eh? Oh, yeah."

"And?"

"And I've decided that I'm gonna kick your ass the hard way, instead of botherin' to find the mutt and borrowing his sword thingie."

"... I see."

"Yup. So, hold still for a sec-"

The writhing mass of tree-trunk thick tentacles rose up and crashed down on the Demon and the human as one, smashing trees and rocks alike with sheer brute force. _A pity. Oh well, I'll just have to make sure that I scavenge some pieces from his remains. Hopefully they will be of some use to me._

"Y'know, that was a real dick move there man."

"What?"

Perched just above the baboon robed body that formed the head of the beastly mass, Mato smirked down at the figure. "Seriously, you couldn't even wait for me to finish? Dick." Flipping around, he whipped his arm around just as another mass of tentacles rose up to crush them.

"DI- eghk?!"

In a flash, Mato's hand had punctured straight through the baboon hide robe, and latched onto the heart of the Demon. "Got your attention now? Sweet." Mato _squeezed_ his fingers, brilliant ebony sparks dancing over his hand, streaming up the length of his arm. "If I _ever_ see your punk ass again, I'm going to reach through your little proxy, like I am right now..." Mato's lips swept back in a feral smirk, his eyes glittered with merry menace. "And I'll tear your organs inside out, and _feed_ them to you. Got it?" His hand shook, his fingers trembling wildly as he fought the urge to simply tear the Demon asunder, just for the fun of it. "_Got it?_"

Gagging, the doll Naraku used to remotely control his puppet body nodded, unable to even articulate anything more complicated than a strangled sound of agreement.

"Great. Bye now." With that, Mato twisted his wrist, tearing the heart of the puppet around so it was upside down, before clenching his fist. In less than a heartbeat, he'd pulped the soft organ, feeling it ooze out between his fingers. "... Ok, that was more fun than it should've been." Pulling his arm free from the now inert monster's chest, he wiped his hand on the white furred robe, staining it a purplish black.

"...You killed him." Kanna stared up at the human, a blank expression on her face, as always.

"Nah, not really." Mato shrugged, hopping off of the limp body. "I was gonna, but then I changed my mind." Sighing, he swung the Demon girl around so she was hanging off of one of his shoulders. "Guess I didn't really feel like it today."

"...Why?"

"Dunno... Hungry I guess?" Scratching his head, Mato looked around the devastated forest, trying to get his bearings a little. _Ok, so... Now that I'm finished with that crap for now, where's Ukyo and the other two? I know they were around here somewhere. Oooh, crap. Maybe they got smooshed up by all that smashing? Mmm, naaah. Inuyasha would've protected them from something as lame as that._ Sighing, Mato picked a direction at random, and simply started walking.

"...Why didn't the mirror remove your soul?"

"Because ya can't take out, what ain't there in the first place."

"You don't keep your soul inside you?"

"No, I keep it in my _pocket_." Rolling his eyes, Mato lept skyward, alighting on a branch. Shading his eyes with his free hand, he looked around a little, trying to spot the others.

"A human cannot live without a soul."

He snorted. "What a quaint little notion."

"It's true, the become mindless zom-"

"I wasn't talking about that one. Ah, bingo." Bounding from tree to tree, Mato soon dropped down to the forest floor, marveling at the fact that some trees were still standing. "Well go figure, you two found the only place that wasn't smashed flat in a quarter mile."

"What's _she_ doing here?" Clearly feeling much better now, Inuyasha snarled and pointed a claw at the little albino Demon girl.

"Meh, there's no point in fighting her now. The jerk with the body odor problem tried to kill her." Mato set Kanna down on her feet. "You've got a common enemy, or whatever... I don't care. Where's Ukyo?"

"Um..." Kagome looked away, tapping her index fingers together in a nervous gesture. "You see, there's a funny story about that..."

"... I can easily vaporize you both."

"I don't know!"

Sighing, Mato pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm really starting to rethink my policy on not simply killing everyone I meet. I'd have a lot less headaches, and frankly, I can't see a downside to it at all."

-

Well, after a long christmas delay, the new chapter finally arrives!

Not really much else to add here, really. Stuff happened, christmas shopping was stupid hard this year, and now I'm pretty much done and in the clear.

Tequila and new years, here I come.

A merry christmas, and a happy new year to all my readers!

On to the review replies!

Scourgeofthegalaxy- Glad you liked it. As for your suggestion, it's nice, but no thanks. Frankly, there are two reasons why not. One, I'd have to read other people's stories. Two, I'd have to deal with other writers. Now, it's not me saying that other people out there don't write well, hell, I first got into FF dot net from reading it.

But honestly, people are such an unpredictable bunch, and if somebody told me to yank their works out of my story, after I'd put it in, I'd pretty much have to. It's a hassle I don't need.

So, thank you for the suggestion, but I think I'll stick with what's worked for me for the last... Oh, book and a half. Heh.

Teturo- Well, Mato's past is both long, and complex. I could probably devote at least three and a half books to it, and still probably not tell the whole story. Now, if I cut out all the damn jokes, we'd actually get somewhere, but that's not my style. As for Kagura, in a word, creepy. Yeah.

Jusenkyo- Yeah, I use elipsis a lot too. Just love 'em, and trailing off without completing... Yes, Mato is the guy you love to try to kill, and fail miserably. And finally, everybody gets to really see why Mato was always bitching about how much his body sucked back in the first book. Good times, good times. Ah well, back to the toiling away for my fan's approval. Work, work, work.

Pryde Kitty- Glad you- Wait, SSJ Mato? Now there's an interesting mental image. Here is your slack-free chapter. Now that it's finished... Time to slack off! Hah!

The Azure Penguin- Wow, a bunch of belayed reviews from you. Ok, from the top!

Good with kids? I dunno about that. Talking to them like they're actual people? Yeah, pretty much. I was wondering why the fangirl section was so empty and quiet lately, welcome back.

Ok, ok. I'm sorry about all the blood. I'll stick with the mutt from now on instead, ok?

Y'know, at first, I had planned for Ukyo to run into Mato several times, and not once realizing that it was _him_, the one looking for her in the first place. Funny idea, but it didn't really pan out once I tried to get it down. Didn't feel right that Mato wouldn't shake the crap outta her after she popped off on him the first time. As for Ukyo, it's only natural that she'd stop slacking off in her training and what-not now that her life is in constant danger. Nothing like the threat of death to motivate you to become better. As for the 'bad thing coming'... Do you really think God is happy with them? If your answer is 'no', then you've found the bad thing.

Why do I get the feeling that I'm being mocked? I am, aren't I? Meh. Yes, Kagura does get smacked around, and as you can see from this chapter, the smackage continues. Also, the old Trojan body thing can throw one for a loop, and it's much worse if you toss romance into the picture too. Ok, no more pantless soysauce jokes, got it.

There, now doesn't it feel like those replies came naturally? Almost as if you'd never missed out on reviewing at all, right? Hah. Anyways, glad you're back and all that.

itachi-was-mine- Yays! I wonder how much else I could get out of this? Hah, hope you've enjoyed the story so far.

Ok, that's it for everything this time. I should be dropping back into the regular schedule of one to two times a week again, depending on how much Tequila I can get ahold of for new years. Hah.

Until next time.


	8. Chapter 8

"I can't believe you actually lost her. How lame is that on a scale of 'lame' to 'you guys are utterly useless'? A fifteen hundred?"

"I said I was sorry!" Huffing, Kagome trudged along behind Mato, dragging Inuyasha along by his arm. The Hanyou had been no help at all in the matter. The only thing he did, was trudge along behind her and sulk. Sure, it was a cranky sort of sulk, but it was still sulking.

"I give you one little thing to do..."

"...Um." Kanna peered over Mato's shoulder, still clinging to the tall martial artist since he had yet to let her down.

"Quiet." Looking around for a moment, Mato frowned, pressing a fist against his hip. _Now then, how am I- oh. Duh._ Letting his eyes droop closed, he sucked in a slow breath, and relaxed. Tilting his head back, he felt the tension trickle out of his muscles as he opened himself up to the world.

Roughly three hundred feet to his right, someone about the size of a teenaged girl was tromping through the bush.

_No, Ukyo wouldn't have recovered yet, so it's not her._ He opened himself up a little more, putting to use some of his more rarely used talents. The grass at his feet sizzled softly as the wind curled through it, bringing on scents from much further away than he'd normally be able to detect. _There... I can smell her now. She's wandered a long way off, and-_ Eyes snapping open, Mato took off like a shot.

In the space where he'd stood and instant before, shredded grass stalks hung in the air, the ground itself torn up by the force of his sudden movement.

_And it smells like a pit full of bones is right next to her. And THAT smells like a fat panda, and a shriveled up geezer. Not good._

-

As Ukyo lurched on in a daze, her mind echoed with voices, only one that was halfway her own.

"So, wait... You're saying that you're... You're..."

_Exactly._

"But, but you can't be! I mean, that would mean..." Inner Ukyo tried to find a word, _any_ word, that would fit the situation. All she could come up with were four letter words, and a few creative variants.

_Hah, you kiss people with that mouth?_ Smirking, Mato's essence was resting on his back, arms crossed behind his head. _Face it, it explains just about everything that's happened since I've shown up, and a few of the real puzzlers about the wacky crap that happens in Nerima._

"Yeah, but... You're still human, right?"

_Ninety-four percent of me is, in the physical sense. Spirit-wise, yeah, I'm human. But everything else is... _

"So... When you changed into that Demon form of yours..."

_I TOLD you, it's just an emulation. As in I FAKE it. It's a fairly good copy of what Demons can do, but all in all, not as good as if I was the real thing. My tricks like that never are._ Frowning, he crossed his legs. _My natural form is always just all around better in every way, let's face it. The copied forms just give me access to a few nice tricks that would take me a long ass time to develop on my own._

"Ok, ok, I get it." Sighing, Inner Ukyo closed her eyes. "... Still very weak... I'll probably have to take control for a few days more, at this rate. And wear clothes. Ugh." Shuddering at the thought, she stomped her foot. "That's it! When I get back, I'm buying a razor, and a string bikini."

_... Yeah, you are NOT gonna be happy with yourself when you get back to being you... Ok, that sounded a lot better when I first thought of it. Oh well, whatever. We're nearly there I think._

Inner Ukyo perked up. "So, Real-Mato is coming for us?"

_For Ukyo, yes._

"And then?"

_And then he rips me out of here, and... Then I don't know._

-

"Finally, found you." Sighing, Mato put his hands over Ukyo's shoulders, and turned her around to face him. "So, mi- eh?" Blinking at the glazed expression on her face, Mato frowned and leaned close, pressing his forehead against hers. _Testing, testing._

_We're here._

Mato arched an eyebrow. _We?_

_Me an' her... Repressed sex, thing... Yeah._

_Uh, ok... How's regular Ukyo then?_

_...In a coma, I think._

_Coma? Hell, she's walking around!_

_Well, not a physical one._

_As opposed to a mental one?_

_She's not catatonic._

_I know that! I- rgh. Look, I'm sure we'd all love to stand around while I argue with what is essentially myself, but I've got crap to do._

_Hey! Is that Mato? Hi Mato! Wanna see me naked?_

_...Ukyo says hi._

_Ugh._ Shaking his head, Mato pressed his lips to Ukyo's mouth. A ripple of soft green light swam around the pair, and vanished as he pulled away from the girl. "...Are you ok now?"

"...Huh?" Putting a hand to her face, Ukyo blinked several times. "I... Don't know? It's my first time, being in charge, I mean." Inner Ukyo, now actually in control of the body, looked down at herself. "Well, my rack looks awesome." She half-turned, bending over a bit. "How's my butt? Nice and tight?"

"...Uh, yeah..." Sweatdrop. "You're fine." Sighing, Mato shook his head and stepped back from the girl.

"... You are both very odd."

"Who's that?" Ukyo pointed, peering at the little girl hanging off of Mato's shoulder. "She looks adorable."

"That's Kanna. She's a void Demon without a soul." Reaching over his shoulder, Mato held Kanna out by the waist. "So, I'm gonna jam the little bit of mine into her." With that, he pulled the Demon girl close, puckering his lips a bit.

"Eep! You can't kiss a lit-" Ukyo flushed as she watched.

Planting a little kiss on Kanna's forehead, that same ripple of soft green light ran over the pair for an instant. "And, done. Now to add a little seal, so that the soul becomes part of her, and doesn't stay a part of me." Biting down hard on his lip, he set the little girl down on her feet, as a trickle of blood ran down his chin.

"Wh- hey wait. Wait just a minute! Why the hell did you kiss her there, when you always kissed me on the mouth?"

"Because it was more fun, duh." Smirking, Mato dipped a finger into the trail of red running down his jaw, and quickly drew two kanji on Kanna's forehead. The two bloody characters flashed bright yellow, then faded away, and the little Demon girl stumbled back into Ukyo's legs.

"Woah." Reaching down, Ukyo caught Kanna by the arms, holding her upright. "Are you ok?"

"I'm... fine?" Blinking, Kanna brought her hands up to her face, cupping her cheeks. "It feels... Warm." A small smile curved the little girl's lips.

"Hah. Face it ladies." Swabbing blood away from his face, Mato flicked his hand, sending suddenly flaming droplets flying. "I'm just awesome." Sighing, he turned and walked a short distance away, stopping by a squat little thing made of stone. "Now all I have to do is fix this stupid well, and we're all done."

"You can do that?" Kanna squirmed in Ukyo's grasp, but didn't try to get away.

"C'mon. I'm Mato Hibiki." A smirk swept his lips back. "I can do anything, and then some."

-

Huffing, Inuyasha stood next to the Bone Eater's well, arms crossed over his chest. "C'mon! Hurry up will ya? It's not that far ya-"

"Inuyasha! Huff, huff, huff... SIT!"

"GYAH!" Wham!

Puffing hard, Kagome finally, _finally_ made it all the way to the well, and slumped down against it's side. "Oh man... Why couldn't you have wai... Huff, huff... Waited for me you jerk!" Gasping for breath, Kagome glared down at the Hanyou's limp form.

A girl dressed in a dark bodysuit with pink highlights, of all things, came running up a few seconds after. "... Kagome." Raking a hand through her sweaty hair, Sango the Demon exterminator leaned over to examine Inuyasha's prone form. "Who was that person Inuyasha went running after?"

"Oh, um..." Thinking for a moment, Kagome shrugged. "I don't know... But I guess he fixed the well." It was true, in the few short minutes the odd fellow had been out of sight for, the countryside remained the way it was.

The skyscrapers in the distance, however, had vanished in a massive flash of bright white light.

"Gyeeehh..." Turning over onto his back, Inuyasha's eyes were a pair of large, rotating swirls.

"...Jerk." Huffing, Kagome looked away. _I wonder just who that guy really was? And what happened to Kanna? And that girl he was looking for?_ She had the strangest feeling that she'd never find out.

-

Sitting all alone in the dojo, silently, Ranma Saotome sat with his legs crossed, and his arms folded over his chest. On the floor infront of him, a small scroll lay open. On the scroll was a stick figure with an angry face, pinned down by some crude lines that were supposed to represent spikes.

Needless to say, for a technique manual, it wasn't very helpful.

"Argh!" Flopping onto his back, Ranma kicked his legs. "Why is this so hard? Why can't somebody just explain it to me!" Clapping his hands over his head, Ranma felt like he was going to scream. "I don't care if they pop out of thin air, and are flesh eating zombies! I'll take anyo-"

BAM!

Frozen into stillness by the sudden noise, Ranma slowly lifted his head to see what had made the sound.

"...Yo." Mato flicked a little wave.

"AAAHHHH! FLESH EATING ZOMBIES!"

"...What the crap?"

-

Sitting in the dining room, with a very large handprint on his face, Ranma sulked.

"Look, I said I was sorry already, but you _bit_ me." Sitting across the table from Ranma, Mato rested an elbow on the wooden surface, his chin resting in his palm, long fingers curled around his jaw, reaching up to nearly the corner of his eye.

"I thought you were a zombie!"

"...Right, and you thought biting me would be fine... How exactly?"

"...Shut up."

"Whatever." Sighing, Mato rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I've got a present for you." Reaching under the table, he hauled a little white-haired girl out. "...Find it?"

Smiling, Kanna held up an orange sphere.

"Next time eat it, don't play around with it." Sitting the little Demon girl at his side, he patted her on the head. "You're gonna be taking care of this kid for a few years for me. Ok?" Smirking, Mato tilted his head, waiting to see the inevitable, comical reaction.

"Guh, buh, wuh..." The array of horrified expressions Ranma's face went through did not disappoint the second pigtailed wonder. "I can't take care of a kid! What'll I do?"

"Teach her martial arts... She'll be the most patient student you'll ever have."

"Why the hell should I?"

Mato's deep green eyes shone, a menacing look that suddenly made his face seem to be nothing but sharp angles. "Because I've saved your life once already. Not to mention your fiancee's." He stared at the boy for a moment. "Or do you want me to collect the debt in some... _Other_ way?"

"... How many years did you say?" Ranma smiled, sweatdropping.

"I dunno. I'll leave you with enough money for ten, I guess." He glanced at Kanna. "Food, clothes, school stuff." Mato shot Ranma a look. "None of this Furinkan crap either. A _good_ school. The kind that makes you actually use your books for reading, not projectiles."

"Uhhh..." Ranma's eyes boggled at just how much that could cost.

"Trust me, once you start getting used to it, you'll be whining when it's time for her to go."

Kanna fiddled with her orange, unsure of how she should feel about all of this. _I don't want him to leave me._ "Um..."

Patting Kanna on the head, Mato stood up. "Anyway, I have debts to pay. I'll arrange for the cash to be put in a bank account for her." Sighing, he looked around. "I'm gonna miss this, strange as it sounds." Smirking, he let his head hang, tilting it enough to glance at Ranma out of the corner of his eye. "I'm even gonna miss you, Saotome." Spinning on his heel, he flicked a wave over his shoulder. "Ukyo will fill in the rest tomorrow. Go pick her up from the Ucchan in the morning... Goodbye."

With that, he left. In his wake, he left silence, two confused people, and several questions that wouldn't be answered for nearly sixteen hours.

-

The bell tingled softly as Mato stepped into the newly re-opened Ucchan. "Hey, you still open, chef lady?" Seeing that nobody was there, he nudged the door shut with his foot, and thought very hard about the lock turning by itself as he walked across the restaurant.

The soft click of the deadbolt turning on it's own brought a small smile to his lips.

_Yup, I am awesome. I can turn locks with my mind. I'm the worst superhero ever. On the other hand, I'd make a kickass villain._ Finding the kitchen empty, he decided to try upstairs. Walking down the hall, he caught a whiff of soap and water. _The bath's been used. So that means..._ Trying very hard to repress a smirk, he walked into the darkened bedroom, and shut the door. "...How naked are you?"

A huff. "Very. Jerk, did you peek?"

"Nah, I could smell the soap on your skin."

"...Oh." A sigh, and the sound of somebody dropping onto the futon. "So, you went through all this trouble, just to save me?"

"Yup."

Ukyo swallowed, unsure of what to say. After a moment or two, it came to her. "...M... Mato?"

"Yes?" _Is... She crying?_

"...Can we... Have sex?"

Sweatdrop. _Nope, definitely not crying._ "Oy... You've got a one-track mind."

"I'm repressed sexual desires. I'm also very naked and in love. _Get over here._"

"Work, work, work." Chuckling, Mato sauntered over, dipped down, and pressed his lips to Ukyo's mouth. He could smell the desire wafting off of her, mingling with the scent of her hair, and the floral stuff she washed it with. "You smell better without the perfumed stuff."

"I do?" Reaching up, Ukyo wound her arms around his neck, clinging to him as she felt her heart begin to thud against her chest. After all this time, not only did she _finally_ get to indulge in everything she'd ever wanted to do, and then some... She also got to be with Mato, the one person she'd actually risked, well, her life, trying to find.

"It hides your scent."

A pleasant tingle ran along the length of her spine at that. _Oh, my precious Mato._ Shivering, Ukyo pulled at his tunic. "C'mere sugar."

"Heh, 'kay."

There were ten hours until sun up. Ukyo planned on using every minute she had.

-

**Six fifteen A.M.**

**Ukyo Kuonji's bedroom, the Ucchan.**

A faint ray of sunlight streamed into the room, and lit upon Ukyo's cheer, making her shift a little. "Ummmfff..." Burying her face into the chest she lay against, she groped over the covers, and pulled them up to hide from the light.

"...It's time, Ukyo."

"Mmmm, no... Just five more minutes sugar..." Mumbling softly, Ukyo curled her body around the one she was sharing bedspace with. _So soft, and warm..._

Lifting his head, Mato stared out the window at the little slice of yellow that was drifting up over the horizon. "..." Blinking, he held out a hand, placing a finger over the edge of that bit of the sun that peeked out over Nerima. Green eyes glimmered as he pressed his finger down, covering the sun.

The room went dark.

"Alright, just five more minutes." Lowering his hand to Ukyo's head, he gently stroked her hair, smiling faintly as she snuggled up against him in response.

A few minutes later, the sun rose for the second time that day, shining softly down on the people still in their beds. It shone over the Tendo dojo. It shone over Furinkan High. It shone over a fat Panda scratching it's ass.

It also shone over Ukyo Kuonji, sleeping peacefully, laying alone in her bed.

-

"You're late. I gave you one day of grace, a period of time that ended when the sun rose."

"Heh, seems to me that the sun just rose now."

"Only because you cheated."

"Hey, how was I supposed to know that I wasn't allowed to do that?" Smirking, Mato buckled his belt over his tunic, and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Good morning Hild."

Dusky skinned, sporting a wild mane of stark white hair arranged in such a way as to compliment her angular face, the woman stood across the rooftop from the man she'd been waiting for. "... You really are hard to stay mad at. I hardly know you, and yet, you seem so familiar to me." An unnatural breeze ruffled the long, low-cut purple dress the woman wore, clashing slightly with the golden bangles and hair ornaments she wore.

"Maybe because you'd been spying on me ever since I first came to this dimension?" Smiling knowingly, Mato rocked back and forth on his heels.

"Perhaps." Crossing her arms beneath her breasts, Hild smiled at him. "Five years was the agreement."

"It was."

"I get you for five years, and you have to do my bidding in Hell." Hild pursed her lips, thinking for a moment. "Oh, I won't have you torment anyone... You'd never be serious about punishing remorseful sinners anyway." She flashed Mato a sultry smile. "I'll have you deal with the upstarts who'd want to open the Hellgates... I think I'll have you start with... " She trailed off for a moment, then smiled again. "The ones who'd do the horrible things to women, and children."

Mato's eyes flashed.

"Ah, I've hit the right mark, I see." Holding out a hand, Hild crooked a finger twice. "Come here, and embrace your fate for the time being." As Mato walked over, Hild clasped his hand, pulling him against her. "Come to me, my precious one... Embrace your fate."

As the mistress of Hell folded her arms around Mato's body, bright red streaks of energy lanced into the sky. A large runic symbol appeared at their feet, wrought in gold, and accented in black and steel grey. Thunder pealed as the fleeting streaks of red light arced over, and slammed down upon the pair.

In an instant, the display was over, and the sun softly shone down on an empty rooftop.

-

Done! I even went a page longer than I had planned. Ah well...

There's not too much to say this time, really. I hope you all had a nice new years, and that you all enjoyed the chapter.

Review reply time!

Teturo- Meh, I missed out on the tequila... Ah well, maybe next time. As for Inner Ukyo... Well, you can plainly see how happy she eventually was, right?

Pryde Kitty- Hah! Wow, SSJ2 huh? Makes me wonder how you'll react to seeing Mato in action when he's not holding back. My my, it does seem that everyone loves Inner Ukyo though, don't they? First Bob, now this. Hmm. Also, funny that you should choose to put 'Ukyo x Mato action' really. I'm big on irony though. Hope you liked it.

Scourgeofthegalaxy- Tch, Naraku's a punk, we all know it. And as you can see, long winded explanation of mine aside, the dimensional trips weren't ment to be dragged out for too long. The main character of the story is, or is ment to be, Ukyo. Kanna just happened to be an... Well, a bonus easter egg you could say. It really wouldn't be right to leave her to get smacked around and killed, right? Ah well, thanks for the review. Hope you enjoy the chapter.

The Azure Penguin- Yay! Fangirls again! As for Mato being what he is, well... He'll deal. He has before, he will again. He always does. as for Naraku...

Ok, this is embarrassing to admit, but I forgot nearly an entire page of the story. I had ment to do more on the 'in Ukyo's head' thing, in between sections of the Demon fight, but I decided to leave it out. And when I left that out, I also forgot Naraku's introduction, and a little scene on how Mato got the mirror away from Kanna so fast.

So, sorry everyone, my bad.

And yes, Inuyasha is always to blame. Sit! Hah!

Ok, that wraps it up for this chapter. I'm sure you're all worried that I'm ending this book right here...

And guess what? I AM!

Hah! No, just kidding. Look at the chapter number, there's like, what? Another ten or so to go? Worry not, my dear readers, I won't leave you hanging like that. Look forward to another new chapter soonish.

Oh boy, Mato in Hell. Is this ever gonna be a fun one.

Until next time.


	9. Chapter 9

"...Gone..." Hugging her legs to her chest, Ukyo pressed her face down on her knees, hot, bitter tears staining her tights. _He's gone again, and I'm... Not alone, but not with him._ Sniffling, she rubbed her eyes against the drier spots on her leggings, spots that were getting very difficult to find as time went by. _It's just as bad as being alone..._

Akane stroked Ukyo's hair gently, sitting beside the forlorn chef. "So, she's been like this for hours, and all you know is that Mato just got up and left?" Akane tried to be angry, she really did. She wanted to stomp around and yell about how men were such jerks, but, she couldn't.

The last time Mato had left them, he'd died, saving their lives. Who knew if this time was any different?

Nodding, Ranma stood across the room, feeling awkward. He never knew exactly just what to do when women started crying, and usually, he just made things worse or got nailed with a table. Neither of those results were very desirable right now.

"I know." A short little girl with white hair strode into the room, wearing one of Akane's old sweatshirts for a nightshirt. Patting Ranma on the knee as she silently padded by on bare feet, she stopped before Akane and Ukyo.

"Gah..." Ranma boggled at the little girl, surprised. _I didn't even sense her coming..._ His eyebrows rose in shock, then dipped downwards in canny appreciation. _So that's what he ment... Whatever this kid knows, she's good._

Kanna lifted the hem of the overly large shirt a little, looking at Akane. "Do I have to wear the-"

"YES!" Flushing, Akane shoved Kanna's hands back down. It was mortifying to remember the last night, and the lesson of teaching the little girl the importance of wearing undergarments. Ranma had been no help at all, naturally.

Demons from the warring states era had little to no concept of underwear. Thank God Kanna was open to the concept of bathing.

"...But they ride up." Pouting cutely, Kanna knelt down, staring at Ukyo for a moment. "..." Reaching up, she patted the older girl on the head. "Mato has gone to Hell."

The room went silent. Somehow, it felt like what little of the warmth that had remained after the chilling news of Mato's sudden disappearance had just sucked right out of the room, leaving an icy sensation of dread hanging in the air.

"H-how do you know that squirt?" Ranma didn't know why, other than a gut sensation, but he believed his new charge. Somehow, she knew.

"I share his soul, so I know what few secrets he's shared with the portion he'd given to me." Kanna bowed her head, touching a hand to her chest. The rythmic thudding of her heart pounded steadily against her fingertips, reminding her that she was really, truly, alive. "He's gone to Hell, to repay his debt... Five years of his life, in exchange for the protection of Ukyo, and Nerima from the pitiless games God plays with... We mortals."

-

Frowning, Shampoo glanced up from the dishes she was washing. "Eh?" With Mousse having gone to pick up more fresh food from the market, in preparation for the lunch rush, the purple haired Amazon was forced to pick up the slack. "What is you say, great-grandmother?"

"I said, I feel like something will be happening soon." The Amazon Elder clutched her staff with one hand, looking rather unsettled. "I feel as if we have missed out on something very important. Shampoo, be ready to drop everything at a moment's notice, we may have to move quickly."

"But, if Shampoo drop plate, must sweep up first before go, yes?"

"... Er, yes."

-

"Now, I attack!" Charging forward, Akane lunged at her target. Clad in her gi, the youngest Tendo daughter stomped the floor as she swung her arm around, lashing out with a brutal haymaker.

That didn't connect as Ranma dipped under her fist, spun halfway around, and tossed Akane across the room like a rag doll. As his fiancee, his last remaining, and _only_ fiancee collided with the wall of the dojo, and slid down to rest in an upside down heap, he reflected. Mainly, he reflected on how his life had suddenly changed.

In the short period of one month, he'd grown faster, stronger, and most importantly, more paitient. He'd learned to listen a little more when someone spoke to him, as he now had to set a good example for his new charge, a Demon turned proper mortal, and a little girl to boot. He also reflected on the shiny new spatula that Ukyo swung at his face.

"Hyah!"

Which he ducked under, spun around again, and vaulted straight up and over the follow-up attack. "Too slow Ukyo!" Smirking, Ranma flipped over once, and landed a quick light kick on the chef's face.

Staggering back, Ukyo winced but didn't take her hands off of her weapon. Squinting one eye shut against the flare of pain, she instead whipped her weapon around to engage the heir to the Saotome school of anything goes martial arts once more.

Only to have said heir block her attack with one hand on the haft of her spatula, just below the head. "Too easy, try again." Another vault, and Ranma was halfway across the dojo before the girl could recover her footing.

Remaining where they were, Akane and Kanna silently watched the fight from their unique, upside-down vantage point on the dojo floor. Akane had been on the wrong end of Ranma's attacks for the better part of a week now, and had learned from Kanna, that if you stayed down, you stayed under Ranma's radar when he was fighting Ukyo.

As for Kanna... She watched the fight intently. Her eyes locked on the pair of elegant, and deadly martial artists, following their every movement. Her strength laid in her ability to observe impartially, and adapt her technique through private practice, rather than sparring. Kanna was a rare example of a mental martial artist. That wasn't to say that she didn't develop greatly with each solo sparring session with Ranma, she just felt something different, deep in her soul.

A voice that seemed to say '_Don't be stupid. Balance on the ball of the left foot, not a firm plant of the heel. You need to be mobile, even if you have to sacrifice attack strength and prolong the fight.'_

It was that voice that told Kanna that Ukyo was a lot like herself. She needed to fight a battle with her eye on the long run and details. To sacrifice power for speed, offense for defense. She wanted to tell the older girl all this, but she just couldn't seem to find the voice, or the right words with which to say it.

So she watched, and she learned, and she waited. Waited for the right moment to tell her.

"Rrrgh." Squinting with one eye, she outright _glared_ at Ranma with the other. "Fine! Now I'm going all out on you!" Whipping her battle spatula around with one hand by the very end, she cupped her other hand at her hip. "Ukyo's training technique number two!" A soft glimmer of red light rippled over her cupped hand, and she rushed into the fray again. "Red Rage Ripper revised; Sixfold Spatula Slicer!"

Slapping her hand down on the flat of her spatula, Ukyo began to whip the weapon about her body in a rapid series of triple figure eights. A snake-like trail of faint red light followed the path of her weapon, but flickered wildly, and winked out at the end of her fourth swing. _Dammit, not now! Not in the mid-_

Having easily swayed out of the path of Ukyo's wild, yet tightly grouped attacks, Ranma dipped in as soon as the energy trail vanished. Grabbing the battle spatula by the middle of the grip, he spun about, and flung Ukyo across the dojo, to the end opposite Akane and Kanna.

Colliding painfully with the wooden wall of the dojo, Ukyo dropped to the floor with a rough thud, and lay there, greedily sucking air into her forcefully emptied lungs. Her hand tightened around her battle spatula as she struggled to get up, only to freeze when a pair of eyes stared down into hers.

"... Seriously, six swings Ukyo?" Ranma smirked down at the chef. "Last week, it was only four, and you lost power on the third one. How many are you gonna try an' do?"

"Seven." Flopping onto her side, Ukyo struggled to right herself, but gave up after a moment. She was done, for now. Groaning loudly, she let her body go limp. "Seven is the number I'm aiming for Ranma. And I'll get it, and perfect my technique." Sighing, she rubbed at her face with the back of her hand. "Did I get any closer this time?"

"...Nah, sorry." Spinning on his heel, Ranma folded his hands behind his head. This was the worst part of it all, seeing the same look on Ukyo's face every week, when he told her that she still hadn't come any closer to hitting him, than she had over the last month.

-

Hell was a desolate place.

It was a realm of fire, and ash, and soot, and pain.

And despite the raging torrents of blood that spilled daily, it was a place of eternal life...

Truly, a horror that each being there suffered, and wept nightly, knowing it would never, ever, end.

"Oh my God! Hahaha, you totally came apart at the SEAMS! Man that was awesome!"

Of course, for some, it was more like a day job. Sure, the hours sucked, and the pay was lousy, but there was one perk that shone like diamond encrusted white gold under a desert sun.

You never, ever had to hold back.

Spinning on his heel, Mato lashed out with the heel of his other foot, catching a man across the face, nearly ripping his jaw off. Flinging his hands into the air to throw off the second man that held him from behind, he brought both fists down in a pair of axehandle blows on the first man's back.

Swooping down from the sky, a mottled red skinned beast with twisted horns threw itself into a power dive as it rushed at the lone living being in that terrible place.

"Shi Shi Hoku Dan!" A sparkling yellow orb shot from the pigtailed martial artist's fingers, perforating the beast's right wing. In an instant, Mato slapped his hands down on the ground. "Bakusai Tenketsu revised; Stone Sky Impaler!" The barren ground rent open, and a gritty spike of red stone shot out, gutting whatever it was that had been considering taking the martial artist out for a quick bite to eat.

Spinning on his heel again, Mato backhanded yet another poor cannibal away as he slapped his hand into the raw stone shaft. "Bakusai Tenketsu!" There was a rumble, then-

SKLLRCH-SPLTCH!

A fine red mist, and hunks of unidentifiable meat rained down from above.

"Two hundred, forty six dead so far." Dragging the back of his hand across his mouth, Mato couldn't help, and did nothing to conceal, the slasher smile that curled his lips back, baring his gleaming fangs. "Four more, and I can call it two fifty by lunch today... A new record."

Something blue and flashy caught his attention as he spun to the side, narrowly avoiding a set of long, razor tipped shafts of ice as they sliced through the air where he'd been. "What the Hell? Th- oh..." Smirking, Mato hopped back a few feet. "Heh, I know you."

The glimmering creature seemed to be formed of a single piece of sky blue ice, formed perfectly from the top of it's oblong head, to the tips of it's needle sharp talons. "I doubt it boy, I am Lan Se F-"

"Feng Bao Nei Xin, yeah, I know." Smirking, Mato darted in and buried his arm up to the elbow in the Demon's stomach with a single, sharp thrust. "I'm the one who killed your ass twice, remember me?" Smiling, he jabbed two fingers into the place where the Demon's eyes would be, sinking them in up to the second knuckles. "This'll make three, and it's gonna feel oh so good." Pulses of bright yellow light cascaded down his arms, gathering between the fingertips of the hands he'd buried inside the Demon's body. "Boom baby."

There was a semi-muffled _crump_, and the landscape was suddenly showered with tiny bits of ice.

"Oh yeah..." Brushing flakes of ice off of his tunic, Mato let out a satisfied sigh. "Good for the soul."

-

Sighing, Ukyo sank back into the tub, plopping a wet rag atop her head with a liquid _splotch_. "I'm just not improving fast enough..." Sulking suddenly, she sank lower into the tub, letting the water rise up to her chin.

"I think adding another pair of swings to your attack is pretty good." Akane sat across from the chef, resting her cheeks in her hands. "I'm more worried that you two will hurt each other before you're satisfied."

Kanna burbled something unintelligible, having trouble keeping her nose out of the water. The rest of her body, from the upper lip down, was completely hidden under the waterline. The girl was a bit short for the tub it seemed.

Sweatdropping, Akane kept a close eye on the little albino girl. "Try not to swallow too much, it's not good for you."

Blurbling a reply, Kanna nodded. She was more interested in watching the little yellow rubber duckie float around the tub, propelled from time to time by a precise jab from her finger.

Sighing again, Ukyo reached up and slid the rag over her eyes, reclining in the tub. "It's not enough though... Mato could just whip up techniques on the spot in a heartbeat. I have trouble just coming up with two..."

"Why are you training so hard anyway?" Akane hugged her legs to her chest, tilting her head a bit. "You never seemed to take your martial arts so seriously before. Why the change?"

Kanna jabbed at the duckie, sending it skimming across the surface of the water, towards the other side of the tub.

"Well, sooner or later, I'm going to figure out how to get Mato out of Hell... So I need to be ready for when that day comes." Ukyo clenched a hand into a tight, balled up fist. "Nothing is going to get in my way, I swear it."

Akane stared for a few seconds, stunned into silence. "Wow... You're... Really going to just-"

There was thudding coming up the hallway, and a second later, the door flew open.

"AKANE! I rushed here as soon as I could! I'm ready to save you now!" Ryoga stood in the doorway, breathing slightly hard from his long trek across the globe... Twice. Once to find the right continent, and a second trip once he realized he'd landed on the wrong coast, and tried to go _around_ the world again, in order to land on the correct one. "Where's the Demon?"

Both teenagers froze as they sat there, totally nude, staring at what must be the dumbest guy on the planet.

"Guuuhhh... You're... You're... You're _both_... Nuh..." A thin trickle of blood flowed out of one of Ryoga's nostrils.

"Ryoga you jackass!" Ukyo jumped up and cupped her hands together. "Mini Shi Shi Hoku Dan!" A small sphere of yellow light, about the size of a baseball rocketed from Ukyo's fingers, slamming into the lost boy's chest, and driving him back out of the bathroom.

Where he crashed into the wall across the hall.

"Sorry!" Ranma darted an arm into the bathroom, just far enough to grab the doorknob, and slam it shut. "I'll deal with him!" Yelling through the door, Ranma quickly shifted to yelling at the lost boy.

"... Great, now I'm traumatized." Slowly sinking back into the tub, Ukyo dug around beneath the water for a moment, trying to find something.

Lifting one hand up, Kanna passed the older girl her lost washrag.

"...Thanks..." Reclining once more, Ukyo slapped the wet rag back down over her eyes, and tried very hard to push the recent humiliation out of her mind.

Akane just sat there, frozen in place, and very bright red.

"I'm going to kick his ass later... How could that jackass possibly be over _two months late_ for that fight? Where the hell was that moron when we needed him?"

The answer, of course, was Egypt.

-

A massive giant, a literal tower of muscle and bone, stomped it's way toward the small battlefield that was strewn with the remains of who knows how many lost souls. Easily sixty feet tall, with a trio of long horns that came together in a sharp, triple edged point, the thing was colored the shade blood took on after being left in a month old corpse, and it didn't look happy.

"Alright!" Unlike Mato, who looked estatic. "Ha ha, you bring two of your friends with you, and I can wrap this whole thing up in five minutes. Which is great, because I've got a date for lunch with the ruler of Hell. You see... This afternoon, I dine, with Hild!"

The towering beast paused for a moment, staring oddly.

"Not doin' it for you? Ok, lemmie try another one... For you see, tonight, I dine, in Hell!" Mato paused for a moment. "Just like everyone else down here... Ok, so that one didn't work really well either... Aw screw it. Chou Shi Shi Hoku Dan!"

-

Ok, this chapter is a bit short this time, but, ah well. My shoulder's kinda aching, so, yeah. Must be a cramp, because there goes the other one now. Gah.

Not much to say about this chapter really. I like to think that it speaks for itself.

But I'm sure that everyone remembers that one, special ice Demon, right?

On to the reviews.

Teturo- To be honest, it seems like Mato started out with that goal, and just wound up attacking everything in sight. Typical him. As for what new chaos, well... I think Ukyo's last few lines give you a pretty good hint, no?

Scourgeofthegalaxy- As you can see, it is most definitely not over yet. Not by a long shot. And, uh, yeah... Maybe it's best if we just move on to the next review, and not draw any more attention to what you said there? Yeah, I thought so too...

Pryde Kitty- So far, I think all of your questions have been answered, no? At least, somewhat, right? Mato's asskicking romp through Hell itself will probably continue, just not at a high gore level, I hope. Ah, it's not like anything permanent happens to them down there anyway. Sooner or later though, he's gonna attract the attention of some really nasty people. Then it's gonna get ugly.

Jusenkyo- Angst, yes. Hopefully, it's not too drawn out and mopey there. Ukyo doesn't have time to sulk, she's gotta get ready to kick ass, and drag Mato out of Hell herself! Damn, I just realized how much she's changed since the first chapter of the last story, no?

Well, that's it for this chapter.

Until next time.


	10. Chapter 10

"So that's my plan." Sighing, Ukyo plopped down onto Akane's bed, tucking her bathrobe around her legs. Still worn out from the training, and the chi blast she'd used on a particularly _stupid_ jackass, she didn't have much energy left.

Kanna lay at the foot of the bed, curled up into a small ball of pale skin and white hair that peeked out from the folds of her fluffy, too-big bathrobe. With her head pillowed on her thin arms, she looked almost like a little angel.

"That's pretty stupid." Akane sat on the chair infront of her desk, arms crossed over her chest. "Really. It sounds like something Ranma would come up with."

Nodding repeatedly, Ranma sat on the floor next to Akane's chair, not bothered in the slightest by the slam at his intelligence. "Yup. There's a reason people like my pop wind up down there."

Nobody in that room, or anywhere in Nerima doubted for an instant as to what Genma Saotome's final destination would be.

"... Do I have to be involved in this?"

"Shut up. I'm still mad at you, jackass." Giving Ryoga a sharp glare, Ukyo sat up a little straighter. "You're gonna do what I say, or else."

"Or else what?" Ryoga could be rather stubborn about his cluelessness, not a particularly endearing trait, considering that there were two people in that room who'd gladly beat the ever loving crap out of the lost boy in a heartbeat.

Letting out a tiny yawn, Kanna sat up and stretched, her robe falling slightly askew.

Reaching over, Ukyo tugged the little girl's robe into a more decent arrangement.

Smiling sleepily at the chef, Kanna patted her hand, and swung her legs off of the bed. Dangling her bare feet just above the floor, she kicked her legs a few times, then looked at Ryoga.

"Uh." Staring back at the girl, Ryoga shuddered a little. There was something deeply unnerving about that stare, not to mention the way she just sat there, unbothered by her state of partial dress.

Sliding off the edge of the bed, Kanna quietly padded over to Ryoga, and sat in his lap.

The other three Neriman martial artists stared blankly, not too sure of exactly what was going on.

Tilting her head back, the little albino girl stretched her neck, straining upwards until her pale lips brushed against the lost boy's ear. He was the only one who heard her quiet whispers.

_If you don't help, I'll bite it off._

Ryoga went as white as a sheet. Even paler than Kanna herself. A blue flush washed across the bridge of his nose as his brain locked onto exactly what that ment.

As Kanna stood up, she rubbed her ankle against the older boy's thigh, then turned and began walking away. All the while, she could hear someone laughing inside her head. _Oh my God, that was perfect. Next time he sees you, make sure you're eating something, and be sure to take very exaggerated bites while he's watching._ Kanna didn't understand any of this at all, but she did know that it would help Ukyo out in the end, and that was all that mattered to her.

-

"Great-grandmother! Is phone for you!"

"Thank you child. Go and help Mousse in the kitchen." Lifting the handset to her ear, Cologne frowned at the unfamiliar voice on the other end. "Who is this?"

-

For the past few weeks, Ukyo had taken to bunking at the Tendo's over the weekend. It made sense, as by the time the teenagers were finished training at the end of the day, Ranma was the only one in any shape to be moving around _without_ over exaggerated moaning.

Sitting up, Ukyo rubbed at her eyes with both fists, feeling hot grit grind against her soft skin. Letting out an irritated moan, she hauled herself up off of the futon on Akane's floor and walked out of the bedroom.

Off to the side, Kanna was curled up into a tiny, barely noticeable ball beneath the covers, her mop of white hair the only part of her that showed. In her head, the little girl dreamed of a dark haired boy, surrounded by shadowy monsters. She shuddered a little, as the boy panicked and fell back in his attempts to escape the shadows.

Suddenly, a flash of yellow darted into the middle of the pack, ripping the monsters to pieces with it's bare hands. Whirling, darting, weaving with an easy, unnatural grace, the yellow shape _danced_ from shadow to shadow, leaving dissolving black mist in it's wake.

Sitting upright, the boy watched the flash of yellow, a look of admiration on his face. His lips moved as he stared, a soundless, gleeful expression as the fight became more chaotic. _So badass..._

Confused, Kanna felt herself drawn down, closer to the whirling shapes. She didn't understand what the boy ment at all.

_Badass. You know, awesome? _The boy suddenly twitched, and jerked around, staring with wide eyes. _Wait, who the heck are you?_ Jumping to his feet, the boy stared at his body in dismay. _Aw, not this dream again._ He shook himself, glaring at Kanna. _Who are you? You weren't there when this all happened._

Curious, Kanna drifted in closer. The wild battle that continued to rage had been regulated to the background.

Frowning, the boy swept his hand around in a few meaningless gestures, clasping his hands together. _Get out of my MIND!_ Bright blue light flared, bleaching everything out with a wash of sensation the color of clear sky.

Sitting up with a gasp, Kanna trembled wildly. _What was that?_ Looking around, it took only a moment to remind her that she was sleeping in Akane's room, on a futon in the corner. Shivering, the little girl stood up and groped for her robe in the darkness.

Akane flailed about in her sleep, as usual. It sometimes took an airhorn to wake that girl up when she got like that.

Pulling the robe on, Kanna cinched the belt, and started for the door. _Underwear._ Turning back, she groped around under the covers until she found what she was looking for. Hopping awkwardly as she tried to dress and head for the door, Kanna wished she could just walk around without having to bother dressing.

Of course, she'd once bumped into a certain fat panda on a midnight fridge raid during one of her naked quests for a glass of water. A scream, some smacking, and a _very_ pissed off Ranma blitz attack later, and Kanna wasn't allowed to do that ever again.

Which, in her mind was unfair. Why did she have to go through all the trouble of dressing, if she was only going to have to strip back down once she got back to bed? Then again, the idea of bumping into the panda again while undressed made her stomach do some very uncomfortable contortions.

_Squick factor five, you little nudist._

And then there was the voice in her head. The one that said all those odd things.

-

"It was him, I'm sure of it." Raking both hands through his tousled brown hair, the teenaged boy stared at the girl sitting across the room from him, ontop of his dresser.

"How can you be so sure?" The girl shared the same features as the boy. From their facial structure, right down to the exact same shade of chestnut brown hair they got from their mother.

"Because I can feel it in my soul." Pulling on a thin blue cotton t-shirt, the boy shook out his unruly mop of hair. "I just don't know why he kinda looked like a little girl.

His sister snorted. "Maybe he was screwing with your head?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't put that past him."

"So, how long do you plan on being gone?" His sister examined her nails for a moment, pretending to not really care about his answer.

"I dunno. As long as it takes, I guess." Buckling his belt, the boy picked up a small pouch and strapped it to his thigh, then clipped the shackle at the top to his belt. "I'll fire off a few castings of that custom locating spell I made last year, that should give me a good starting point."

"Mom's going to be pissed at you just leaving like this, you know."

"Please. I've been grounded for worse for less than a week. I can take it." The boy flashed a familiar, wild grin at his sister. "Besides, I've got Roland's gun with me." Buckling on a second belt, he let it hang down low over one of his hips. In the holster, heavy and colored a deep blue, was a pistol. _I can't believe that somebody just threw this thing away._ The boy brushed his fingertips over the wood of the grip, feeling a shiver of _something_, something old and powerful, resonate with his core. The grip was new, and still shiny. He'd had a hell of a time scrounging up enough allowance to afford a single grip, but the rich, mellow tones of the desert ironwood looked utterly beautiful to his eyes.

Besides, the grips the gun had on it when he'd found it had nearly rotted away to nothing.

"I worry about that smile of yours. It didn't used to look quite like that."

"Yeah, I know." The boy turned to examine his features in his bedroom mirror. Blue-grey eyes stared back at him, filled with confidence, shimmering with energy just waiting to be tapped. His smile widened as he leaned in closer, turning his head to the side. _I think I see a bit of green in there... So badass._

-

"Hellfire death blossom!" Angry red streaks of flame darted from the cloaked figure's limbs. Ten thousand degree flames made the raw stone pillars sag, wobble, and melt to the ground, collecting in glowing pools of thick fluid on the uneven ground.

Not that it did any good.

"La~ame!" Flashing his fangs in a wild grin, Mato Hibiki slapped both of his hands down on the ground, a writhing aura of cool blue light encircling his body. "Bakusai Tenketsu admixtured; Blue Spears of Hell!" In a heartbeat, a dozen shafts of rough stone burst out of the ground, directly beneath the robed figure. Thick patches of rime clung to the stone spears as they ripped through the figure's body, jerking it off of the ground and holding it in place.

Inches thick sheets of ice began to creep over the unlucky victim, freezing it's flesh solid in mere seconds.

Seating himself on the Vee shape made by a pair of crossed spears, Mato casually flipped back the hood, revealing a beautiful, sharp angled face, topped by a mass of steel blue hair. "Y'know, if you weren't into molesting little girls, and mind raping them, you'd be pretty cute." Grinning, he jammed a thumb into a red rimmed eye, just as the ice rose over the woman's neck, silencing a blood curdling scream before it could really begin. "But that's life- er, eternal torment. So, have fun bursting into a million pieces." Winking, Mato clenched his fist, crushing half of the ice encrusted face he held. "Shi Shi Hoku Dan!"

-

Sitting on the back porch, Ukyo stared at the koi pond. Moonlight danced over the water, and a warm breeze made it's surface ripple and distort the large yellow circle of the moon's reflection.

There was some soft thumping behind the chef.

"...Hello Kanna." Sighing, Ukyo leaned back on her hands, turning her gaze up towards the sky. "What's the problem?"

"I put them on backwards." Letting her robe drop back into place, Kanna stared at the older girl's back for a moment. Her stomach felt all weird again, but it wasn't the sort of nausea inducing sensations she got whenever she thought of Ranma's father.

"What? Wait, nevermind." Smiling in a bemused sort of way, Ukyo shrugged her shoulders, trying to get her tense muscles to relax. _I'm sitting here, staring at the moon, and Mato's down there... Probably suffering horrible... Things..._ A small figure pressed against her back suddenly. "Hmm?"

Leaning into Ukyo's back, Kanna wrapped her little arms around the older girl's neck, closing her eyes. _She's very sad... And very warm._ Closing her eyes, the small girl buried her face into the thick dark hair trailing down Ukyo's back.

_Poor kid._ Shifting her posture a little, Ukyo reached up to put a hand over Kanna's, a comforting gesture. _She's really all alone here._

-

"That... Didn't go so well..." Laying flat on her back, Ukyo gasped for air, trying to suck in enough to keep her chest from heaving. Once again, Ranma had beaten the tar out of the three girls, and did it without so much as breaking a sweat.

Sighing, Ranma shook his head and walked out of the dojo. He'd head for the kitchen and get a snack, then ask Kasumi to help him with the girls. As usual, they'd need a good long soak in the bath before they'd loosen up enough to move around on their own.

Rolling over onto her stomach, Akane let out a moan, and tucked her arms into her sides. "Owww... Is it just me, or is Ranma starting to get rougher?"

"It's not just you..." Turning onto her side, Ukyo curled her arms about her middle, feeling a dull ache around her torso. _It feels like he just about scrambled my insides with that last punch._ "If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was _trying_ to break my ribs."

Slumped against a wall, Kanna wiggled herself, kicking her feet a little. "I can't... I just..." The little girl let out a sigh, stuck where she was, upside-down. "I can't feel my bum. I think it's numb." Being propelled across the dojo by a kick to the backside was never a good thing for one's ego.

"Well, now what do we do?" Squirming about, Akane inched her way over to Ukyo's side. "Do we wait for Ranma and Kasumi to come back and help us up, or do we try and crawl out of here ourselves?"

"Sorry Akane, but you'll have to crawl by yourself." Letting out a grunt, Ukyo turned onto her stomach, and levered herself up onto her elbows and knees. "Today, I'm walking out of here myself." A low groan slipped from her lips, and Ukyo froze where she was. "...As soon as the pain goes away a little... Owwie."

Akane started to laugh, and immediately began moaning. Despite the aches, she too levered herself up on all fours, feeling rather inspired by the chef's stubbornness. "Good plan, going slow... Oh, I hurt everywhere."

Wriggling and squirming, Kanna made grabby hands at the two older girls. "I still can't get up, I'm stuck."

"We'll be there in a few minutes. First we have to get up." Try as she might, Ukyo could simply not manage to muster the strength to push herself upright.

It took roughly ten minutes for Akane and Ukyo to force themselves into an upright position, mainly due to the fact that they used each other as a crutch for support. It took them another minute to hobble across the dojo to tip Kanna over onto her side, and another two to pick the little girl up when they quickly realized that she couldn't walk.

Bum injuries were more serious than people thought. Especially on girls, who had more delicate hineys than boys.

They had all hobbled together to the middle of the dojo, when Akane let out a defeated sigh. "That's it, I just can't go any further."

"Oh come on Akane, don't give up on us now."

Kanna tugged at Akane's sleeve. "What would you do, if some stranger suddenly appeared in the dojo?"

Akane let out a huff. "Fall over."

Kanna tugged at Ukyo's sleeve. "... Same question."

Letting out an annoyed sigh, Ukyo decided to play along. "It depends on what he looks like."

Frowning, Kanna turned away for a moment. "Five foot nine, brown hair, with a big smile." A pause. "He's also wearing a long coat, and an odd looking hat on his head."

Ukyo gave Kanna an odd look. "Where did you get that from?"

Kanna pointed over her shoulder. "He's standing over there."

Sweatdropping, Ukyo jerked her head around to stare at where the little girl was pointing. "Eep." Sure enough, there was a fellow standing in the dojo with them. Being more familiar with the modern world, Ukyo knew enough to recognize American sneakers and a strong hint of a western theme, real _old west_, to his clothing. "Where the heck did you come from?"

The wannabe cowboy tilted his head to the side a little, a puzzled expression on his face. "I'm... Not that... Well? Fine? My Japanese is..." He blinked. "Ok, it's much better than I remember." Frowning, he scratched his ear. "_Way_ better than I remember, actually. I thought I'd be rusty, but it sure came back quick."

"Well good for you." Ukyo reached over for her battle spatula, and slapped painfully against her sore back several times before remembering that she'd dropped it as some point during the humiliating pounding she'd taken from Ranma. _Ooohhh. Well where is he anyways?_

Growling, Akane inched her way away from the other two girls, moving to confront the intruder... Sort of. "Who do you think you are, barging in to people's places like that?"

"Sorry, but it's not like I could just knock." He tilted his head a little. "My name is... Well, that's not important. What is important is that I've come a very long way, a _very_ long way, to find someone."

"You're from America, right?" Ukyo shifted a little, moving so that she was between Kanna and the stranger. "I can tell by your clothes." _Thank goodness for movie night at the all boys school I used to go to._

"New York, to be exact, but I'm from much farther away than that." He gestured with his hands, indicating someone several inches taller than himself. "I'm looking for a guy. Six feet tall, well muscled but slim. Dark hair, wears it in a braid. Yellow and black clothing. Wicked, wild looking green eyes."

Ukyo shivered a little, unsure if she should be elated or terrified by the stranger's description. "You're looking for Mato."

A wide grin swept across the boy's face. "Yes! Damn, it is _good_ to be on the right track for once. Ok, tell me where he is. I'd managed to narrow down my search to a few blocks around here, but I kind of lost the trail. Which is weird, since I keep getting phantom pings that he should be..." Trailing off at the trio of blank stares he was getting, the boy shrugged. "Sorry, I said too much. Anyway, the point is, where is he?"

"He's not here." Ukyo didn't dare look away, not knowing why this man, boy really, was after Mato. Without knowing his intentions, and considering her physical state, she couldn't afford to let her guard down for a second. "He's in Hell."

"Aw... Man." The boy's face sagged. "Did he die _again_?" Running a hand over his jaw, he looked around, distracted by his own thoughts for a moment. "That makes things harder. I'm not sure if I could whip up a spell to get him out of there without pulling out a bunch of monsters too."

"Just who are you?" Standing in the doorway, Ranma had one fist on his hip. His other arm was busy holding Ryoga's limp body over his shoulder. _Figures. I go and pound on Ryoga for five minutes, and some new guy shows up as soon as my back is turned._

"Ah, sorry." Sweeping an arm across his chest, the boy bowed a little. "My name is Kevin Devonshire. Mato was my, uh, kind of mentor for awhile." Straightening up, he smiled at the Nerimans. "Anyway, I'm a Sorcerer, and I'm here to rescue him."

The little group of martial artists stared at Kevin, a large sweatdrop rolling down the back of each of their heads. Clearly, they thought he was just plain nuts.

Naturally, Ranma opened his mouth, speaking before thinking. "Wacko."

Sighing, Ukyo pressed a hand to her forehead. _Real diplomatic Ranma. I think I feel a heachache coming on._

-

Well, that's done. Another chapter out of the way.

Tiring too. I've just come back from a sixteen hour road trip, from thursday to monday, I had to load a Uhaul, drive for eight hours, then unload the damn thing again. I wrote this chapter _literally_ this morning.

For those of you who don't catch this chapter the day it's released, that's Wednesday that I wrote this, and Wednesday that I uploaded it too.

And my computer froze while I was halfway through writing, and I needed to reboot.

Ugh.

Anyways, fatigue aside, it's review reply time.

Scourgeofthegalaxy- I only called it a training technique because 'unfinished move that comes after the first one I came up with' was even _less_ catchy. Sadly, Ukyo doesn't explain more about her techniques this chapter. Maybe next chapter, she'll get a chance.

Teturo- Yeah, your assumptions sound pretty dead on to how we know the characters, yes? Though, Mato will probably toss in some swearing too.

Jusenkyo- Yup, Ryoga's as good with a map as ever. Honestly, I'm a little surprised with how popular Kanna seems among the fans. I actually expected a bit of backlash with this choice. Glad to see that I was wrong about that one. And character development just kicks ass, it's so true.

Pryde Kitty- I actually went back and padded the chapter a bit after I wrote the post script, but then forgot to change the damn post script. Oops. And really, how much can I write about torture before it becomes cringe and squick? Do you really see Mato as the kind of person who'd out and out torture someone? A good sound thrashing, more likely.

And yes, it is official. Ryoga can't read a damn map to save _anyone's_ life.

A final note here, Kevin is not actually a new character. He's from another story I wrote, and yes, he really did spend time learning from Mato.

Interesting developments, no?

Until next time.


	11. Chapter 11

"Yeah, whatever. I'm not here to validate my existence, I'm here to rescue Mato." Brushing off his duster, Kevin straightened the hang of his coat for a moment. "So, you can either help me out, or just leave me alone. Either's fine."

Akane growled, tempted to start shaking her fist at the intruder. But she wasn't that dumb, as her body still hurt like hell, and any sort of excessive movement would probably have her rolling around on the floor in comically exaggerated pain. "Who do you think you are, giving orders like that?"

Kevin shrugged. "I think I'm the hero, obviously." Pausing for a moment to let that sink in, he tilted his head to the side. "So, are you gonna help me or not? I don't exactly have a lot of time, what with Mato being in, y'know, _HELL_."

Feeling a bit conflicted, Ukyo weighed her options. Sure, this was probably the best chance she had for rescuing Mato... _But on the other hand, this guy did just pop in out of thin air. Then again, didn't I end up doing the exact same sort of thing myself recently?_ It was hard to tell if she could trust him or not, considering just how little she knew about him.

"Why do you want to save him?" Kanna stared at the stranger with those empty eyes of hers, clearly unconcerned about the things that were bothering the others. Like for the fact that the guy was dressed up like a _cowboy_, of all things.

That was pretty weird, even by Nerima's standards.

"Uh, why not?" Giving the little girl a weird look, Kevin shook his head. "Seriously, what kind of question is that?" _With my luck, this place is full of people like them. What a stupid question._ "Did you all give Mato such a hard time? Am I even talking to the right people here? Is there a fast food joint around, because, I'm starving here."

Sweatdropping, Ranma glanced over at Ukyo, _really_ not sure what to make of the stranger. _I'm not sure if I should go along with this guy, or just thump him over the head with Ryoga until he stops talking._ Sadly, Ranma was not above using his rival as a club, but then again, who could really blame him, all things considered?

All Ukyo could do was shrug in return. She thought she had no better idea of what to do than Ranma did, even though she technically had way more experience with interdimensional travels. "Um, not really, no... But Mato's an Angel, so we figured-" Ukyo broke off as Kevin started laughing. "What's so funny?"

Waving his hands, Kevin shook his head, turning away. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry... It's just... Mato, an Angel. It's so damn funny." _I'd have a better chance of becoming the Pope than he does of being an Angel._ Biting his lip to keep from laughing like a maniac, he tried to calm himself down. "I really hope he didn't humor such a dumb notion."

Twitching, Ukyo resisted the urge to stomp over and bash the kid upside the head a few times. Only two things prevented her from doing just that. The first was that her battle spatula was somewhere on the other side of the dojo, the second was that her body was still _killing_ her. "Rrrr... What's so dumb about it?"

Startled, Kevin looked straight at Ukyo, suddenly serious. "When has Mato _ever_ acted even remotely angelic? Anyone? Anyone?"

The dojo was dead silent.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Rolling his eyes, Kevin planted his fists on his hips. "He was a real jerk sometimes, not exactly something an Angel'd put on the old resume."

"You should have more respect for the dead, boy." The voice came from the door of the Tendo dojo, startling the little group.

Whirling around, Kevin stared at the source of the voice. "Uhhh..." Blinking, he lowered his gaze about three feet. "... Ok, you're tiny. Why are you tiny?"

Heaving an irritated sigh, Cologne, shifted her grip on her staff, standing somewhat dramaticly in the doorway of the Tendo dojo with Shampoo, the sun at their backs, even though the moment was ruined. "Too much coffee stunts your growth."

There was dead silence in the dojo again.

"...Thaaat... Was a joke, right?" Kevin scratched the side of his head. "Honestly, I can't tell."

"You're not very swift, for a Demon."

"And you're not very tall, for a- what are you again? Some kinda monkey thing?"

Cologne twitched. The short jokes were starting to get on her nerves.

Ukyo's blood had run cold at the mention of the word 'Demon'. A shiver ran down her spine as she glanced at Akane and Ranma in turn. _Not again, not another one of those._ She was sure the others were as worried as she was.

Akane seemed to have frozen solid. What few memories she had of the time the Demon in China had possessed her, flashed before her eyes. Quite a few Chinese Amazons had literally dies at Akane's hands, even though she technically hadn't done anything.

Tightening his hold on Ryoga's limp body, Ranma found himself taking a step forward, beginning to move to position himself between the new guy, and the three girls. _This is very very bad. I wasn't even awake for the fight with that Demon. I've got no idea how I'm supposed to be fighting one._

The only one who was unaffected by the situation seemed to be Kanna, who simply stood where she was, staring at Kevin. For some reason, she couldn't take her eyes off of the boy. _Oh, you just know this ain't gonna turn out well at all._ There was that voice in her head again. It didn't seem to be very worried.

"Shampoo smash now, yes?" Resting one of her bonborri over a shoulder, Shampoo tapped the other against her thigh, clearly impatient to begin. Wearing a pair of short pants that only extended down to mid-calf, and a thin t-shirt, both patterned with wild orange and blue flowers, she seemed to be good and ready for a fight. She'd been a witness to nearly the entire fight with the Demon from her village, and had a fairly good idea of just how bad of an idea it was to fight a Demon in hand to hand combat. She'd had her shoulder broken when she got over-confident.

The wound to her pride had been much more severe.

"Uh, no." Kevin slid back one side of his coat, behind the holster at his hip. "Not unless you want me to knock you across the room, and believe me, it's gonna hurt like hell when you hit the floor." Kevin's fingers slid across the grip of the pistol, lightly stroking the unworn grip. "But probably not as much if I bounce you off of the ceiling first." _Seriously, that's her name? What kinda person names their kid after haircare products? Somebody without much imagination, who was REALLY not expecting to have to name the kid, I'll bet._

"Shampoo no scared of boy. Shampoo fight Demon before." _I'm ready to avenge my pride, too. This time, I won't be swatted aside like a pest. This time, I'm going to KILL this Demon._

"Ugh. Has anyone told you that your Japanese is _terrible_?" _I don't want to have to seriously hurt anyone here, unless I have to. I'd much rather be ignored than attacked._ Hooking a thumb over the slim sweep of the hammer, Kevin held his other hand at his side, making an odd gesture. Curling the index and ring fingers of his left hand into his palm, he curled his middle finger halfway in, folded his thumb over his index finger, and under his ring finger.

It looked just as bizarre as it sounds.

"Shampoo no care. Make boy dead, can no make fun, yes?" Despite her light tone Shampoo was _livid_. _How dare this Demon mock me? I should cave it's head in for such an insult._ It took only a moment for _should_ to become _will_ to become _right now_. Charging forward, Shampoo hefted one massive headed mace, aiming for the startled look on the boy's face.

In an instant, Kevin had lifted his empty hand, holding it up to ward off the blow. His _other hand_ wisked the pistol out of the holster, thumbing back the hammer at the same time as he pulled the trigger. "Force ray!"

Surprisingly, what came out of the barrel of the gun was not a bullet, but an inch thick beam of green light, that slammed into the Amazon's chest. Driving her up and back, the girl slammed into the dojo ceiling, then thudded bonelessly to the floor a few yards away. "...Ow..."

Smirking, Kevin glanced around the room for a moment. "What? I _told_ her I'd do that." Ignoring the shocked looks directed at him, he instead turned his attention to Cologne. "So, what I want to know is this; Who lied to you, about me being a Demon?" _Somebody tipped them off that I was here. Either they were told that I was coming, in advance, or they just got here really quick. In either case, someone from this world is out to get me, and they really don't want me going to save Mato. I think I smell a divine meddler._

Frowning, Cologne narrowed her eyes at the boy. It was very clear that she wasn't in the mood to be revealing anything, least of all to him. Besides, how could one explain that a seemingly random phonecall had alerted her to the sudden presence of a Demon in Nerima, at the Tendo dojo no less.

Kevin thumbed the hammer back with a loud_ cli-clack_, staring at the Amazon Elder. "_Who_ lied to you about me being a Demon? I don't exactly have a lot of time to be playing around with people who're going to attack me for no good reason." _I just know someone else is going to show up, when they figure out that these two weren't enough to stop me. I have to make sure that I handle this quickly, without getting seriously hurt, or wasting too much mana in the process. The real fight is the one that comes after this one._ A year or two ago, Kevin wouldn't have been thinking these sorts of thoughts. He realized that he had grown up a little, go figure.

"Shampoo kill!" Back up on her feet, Shampoo charged at the boy again, not bothering to take the time to figure out where her weapons had gone to. Knocking Kevin off of his feet in a full body tackle, she felt the dull throbbing pain from a moment ago spike in protest at the sudden movement. She'd hit the ceiling shoulders-first, and been lucky enough to have only banged her head slightly. _This time I make sure to grab him, that way he can't use that weapon of his again. Without it, he's got to be helpless. This fight is mine._

Caught by surprise, Kevin made another odd gesture with his free hand as the pair slammed into the floor with a loud, and painful thud. A ripple of dark green flashed between them, and he gritted his teeth, channeling his mana into the minuscule gap between himself and the girl with the horrible Japanese. "Let me _go!_" In an instant, Shampoo was torn free of the boy, and slammed into the ceiling for a second time, only to drop back ontop of him. "Oof! I... Probably should've thought that move through first..." Groaning, Kevin pushed at the purple haired girl.

Letting out a low moan of protest, Shampoo weakly slapped at Kevin's hand. She'd struck the ceiling head-first that time, and the dojo spun crazily about her. Lifting herself partway up with one arm, she pushed at Kevin with the other. "Shampoo... Kill... After room, stop spinning?" _Aiyah, he got me twice. This is so humiliating._

Still frowning, Cologne walked over to the entangled pair, taking a glance at the others in the dojo. _Doubtful that they will be any help. I'll just have to handle this myself._ Sparing Shampoo a quick glance, she shook her head. _She'll be fine, it was just a thump on the head._ Taking a firm gasp on her staff, Cologne hefted it. _She's made of tougher stuff than this boy._

In a heartbeat, Kevin had the pistol aimed at the withered old woman. "I don't think so." Pushing at Shampoo again, he finally gave up at his attempts to get her off of him at the moment. _She's kind of cute, actua- agh! What are you THINKING? This cute girl was intent on smashing my head into chunky salsa just a minute ago! Dammit! Why are all the cute girls the ones who try to kill me?_ Instead, he thumbed back the hammer again. It clicked very loudly as it locked back. "Unless you want to find out what I do to people who try to murder me when I'm pissed off."

"You don't have what it takes, boy. I can see it in your eyes."

"Oh really?"

-

Humming, Kasumi walked into the backyard, heading across the lawn to take down the laundry that she'd hung out to dry that morning. A sudden crash, followed by a body flying through the brand new hole in the dojo wall, and a second crash, this time coming from the house, distracted her a little. "Oh my. I hope we have enough big garbage bags this time." Unfazed, she continued on her course, because _somebody_ had to take in the laundry and fold it.

-

Climbing into the Tendo house through the narrow hole in the wall, Kevin smirked. "Hey, turns out you were right, I don't have what it takes to kill little old ladies. Turns out I've got just enough in me to _smash 'em through a couple of walls instead_, aren't you happy to be right?" _Oh yeah, did that sound badass._

Picking herself up off of the floor, Cologne shot the boy a dirty look as she groped for her staff. _I refuse to give him the satisfaction of answering that._

"What, no comeback? Shame." Holding Roland's six shooter at his side, Kevin's expression hardened. "So, _now_ are you going to tell me who's been spreading lies about me like that?" Waiting for a moment, he thumbed back the hammer on his gun again. It sounded very loud in the semi-enclosed space of the hallway. "I don't have all day, I do need to go save Mato you realize."

"I very much doubt you can save a dead person." Finally getting a hand on her staff, Cologne gripped it tightly, considering her options. _It's much too confined a space for either one of us to be dodging about. One good shot could end it for either of us, but... I doubt the Tendo's will be happy about the state of their house after this fight is over._

"Well, I guess you don't know Mato very well then. It's not the first time he's been to Hell before." Kevin frowned, distracted for a moment by a sudden buzzing noise coming from another part of the house. _Weird, why does it sound like a T.V. suddenly went on the fritz?_

_Now!_ Shifting her stance, Cologne suddenly flung herself at the boy while his attention waned, aiming to stab the tip of her staff into his throat. Such a blow would not only end the fight, but his life as well. At this range, there was no way she could miss, nor could he avoid the blow.

That's why it came as such a surprise, when a flash of green light rippled between the boy, and the very tip of her staff, not more than two inches away from hitting her target. The flash of light turned into a shockwave that knocked Cologne off of her feet, and sent her sailing down the hallway into the living room.

"Yeah, I am so glad I wove a couple of protection enhancement spell boosters into this coat." Closing the distance between himself and the old woman, Kevin kept the muzzle of his pistol trained on her chest. "I love this coat. And- my hat." Kevin patted the top of his head with his empty hand. "Dammit, where did it get to? Where did I lose my hat?" _Dammit, that hat was expensive._ Shaking his head, Kevin focused his attention on the old woman. "Who told you that I was a Demon?" _I can find the hat later, right now I need to keep my mind on the fight. I don't want to have to buy another hat, that one was hard to f- the fight. Keep your mind on the fight, dammit._

Sitting up, Cologne smiled at the boy. "A Goddess."

Not impressed, Kevin gestured a little with his pistol for her to continue. "Which one?"

"The Goddess standing right behind you."

Kevin's cheek twitched as he stepped to the side, and half-turned to look back the way he came. "Ah, crap."

Standing in the hallway was a woman with a mane of wild white hair, and dusky skin, wearing a short black skirt and a purple crop top. A trio of inverted blue triangles adorned her cheekbones and brow. "Goddess of the Past, eldest of the Norn sisters." The Goddess crossed her arms over her chest as she spoke, just to increase the drama of the situation a little. "The cupid of love herself, second class Goddess-"

"Urd." Smiling a little, Kevin was unsure of which one he should be aiming his gun at, the disturbingly durable old hag, or the Goddess. "Honestly, I wish I could say I was surprised at how bad this is all turning out for me, but I'm used to this kind of thing by now." _Yeah, as cool as that sounded, I am seriously in trouble here._

"Good, that will speed things up then." Urd tapped a finger against her arm, staring at the boy. "You're to turn around now, and go back to where you came from. Leave the weapon here."

"Ah, no. Up yours." _Leave my gun here? Screw that!_ Most of his smile fading, Kevin pointed the gun at the Goddess' chest. "I don't take orders from people who manipulate others into trying to kill me. And I'm not too fond of liars either. Why don't you just go back to where you came from, and leave me alone."

Glaring at him, Urd let her hands drop to her sides. "I am a Goddess, I am clearly in a position to be giving the orders around here, mortal."

"Not really, since I'm not from this dimension, I really don't have to take orders from anyone here. Besides, aren't Goddesses not supposed to tell lies? Oh wait, that's _first class_, those are the ones who can't lie." A smirk curved Kevin's lips. _Oh man, is Urd ever easy to piss off. All you have to do, is know what buttons to push, and she blows her stack every time._ "What class did you say you were again?"

Urd's eye _twitched_. "You have exactly ten seconds to surrender that weapon to me, and then submit to being bound, or else-"

"Or else what? You'll break a few more rules? Frankly, I think you're in more danger from having your rank stripped, than I am for popping in here unannounced." _I think she's afraid of what this thing can do to her. Well, that doesn't surprise me. After all, it is Roland's gun we're talking about here. Forged from metal from the legendary Excalibur itself._ Trying to think of an effective spell to use to immobilize one of this foes, Kevin's mind raced. _But then again, as a somewhat holy weapon, just how effective would it be against a Goddess? It would probably be much more deadly to Demons and the like. Well, maybe the fact that it's an object of power that makes it dangerous. Or, maybe because it's from another dimension, like me. I really need to ask someone about these things, when I get the chance._

Clenching her hands into fists, Urd trembled, seething in a silent fury. _How DARE this mortal defy me like that! I should blast him into a thousand bits, right now._

"Ah, that's what I thought. You can't really do much, unless I give you an excuse, right?" Flicking his hand in Cologne's direction, a flash of sickly green light shot out. "Paralyzing snare." In an instant, a web of thin green lines had wrapped about the old woman, making her feel about as weak as a newborn kitten. _That should do the trick. Not a strength reducer, as she could be hiding just how strong she really is, but a strength leveler._ "Besides, do you really think I'm dumb enough to come meddling in some jerk God's world all by myself?"

Still worked up into a fury, Urd was seeing red. _I'll show him license revoked!_ It only took Urd a few seconds to realize just what Kevin had said. "What?" Looking around, suddenly worried, Urd cupped a hand, readying herself to cast a blast of lightning at a moment's notice.

"Yeah, you're really not going to be happy when my backup gets here." Glancing around the room for a moment, Kevin took a few steps to one side, and was happy to see that the Goddess had shifted to mirror his movements. _Great, just get your back to that part of the room for me, thanks._ "Any minute now, it'll show up, and then you'll _really_ be in trouble."

It took Urd a few seconds to realize that the boy was bluffing. _He doesn't have anyone here to help him. He came into this world alone, I should have remembered that._ Lifting a hand, Urd pointed a finger at him. "You will surrender yourself, and your weapon, or else I'm going to _make_ you surrender."

"Oh no, oh my no." Suddenly looking horrified, Kevin put his free hand to his face. "Oh dearie me, I'm about to be talked to death. Ha!" Smirking, he dropped his hand to his side. "Seriously, are you actually _threatening_ me?"

"You bet I am."

A faint buzzing drifted into the room for a moment, sounding like a T.V. was on the fritz.

"Oh, alright then. I just wanted to make sure it was clear, that's all." Shrugging, Kevin lowered his gun, not at all concerned. "You're being a jerk, and threatening to hurt me." Chuckling, he tilted his head to the side. "You hear that, Urd?"

Frowning, Urd took a step forward. "Of course I heard you, you're stan-"

"No, I wasn't talking to _you_."

A hand suddenly reached around Urd's shoulder, and a crackling sound filled the air. A brilliant shaft of dazzling white light hung poised just an inch from Urd's neck. "He was talking to me." A head leaned over Urd's shoulder, topped by a wild mane of stark white hair. "I'll be honest with you, I don't like it when you threaten my friends." A trio of inverted blue triangles marked the newcomer's brow and cheekbones, clashing slightly with her dusky skin.

Urd's blood ran cold.

"May I introduce my backup?" Smirking, Kevin holstered his pistol. "Urd, eldest of the Norn sisters, Goddess of the Past. I think you know her?" Folding his arms over his chest, he bounced a little on his heels. "Also, I should just point something out. That isn't the Urd from _my_ dimension." Pausing to savor the moment, he licked his lips. "That's the Urd from _Mato's_ dimension. And you know what it's like where he came from."

"You forgot to add the part about him forcing me to learn a little martial arts Kevin." _Oh, how I hated that stuff. I'm a Goddess, why should I need to know how to use my fists to take care of things?_ Smiling, the Urd from Mato's dimension snaked her hand around the other Urd's neck. _This is why. It's got to be the hundredth time it's come in handy by now. Sure, any other Urd can cast lightning bolts, but how many of them ever thought to turn it into a weapon? Which means that, sigh, Mato was right after all. I did need to learn how to do this, just incase I ever wound up fighting myself, again._ _I really hate it when he's right, he's just so damn smug about it._

-

There, another chapter finished.

Sadly, I messed up my leg a little, and didn't get a chance to write this before today, again. This is starting to become a bad trend with me. Oh well, I'll just have to live with it.

If the last paragraph comes off as a bit stilted and preachy, I'm sorry. I needed to cram in some exposition, and it's sometimes tough to explain backstory for two characters, in the space of the end of chapter closing remarks.

On to the reviews! (It looks like a couple of reviewers went on strike, too.)

Scourgeofthegalaxy- Yeah, to be honest, the story that Kevin debuts in is... Very badly written. You can actually see how much I've improved as the story goes along, chapter by chapter. I even put a warning in the first chapter, telling everyone to skip about ten chapters ahead to the better stuff... Heh, good times, good times. As for the gun, that would be a Dark Tower reference. I- uh, what? Autosave? Computers come with that now? Aw dammit!

Teturo- I'm sorry to say, I've never heard of Jon Shannow.

Ok, for the few (or two) of you that are interested, the story in question is indeed on this site. it's book one of two, and the second one, I never got around to doing, lame, I know. But if you really want to suffer through my older, and much worse writing, the name of the title is 'Mistaken Identity'.

And with that, I just lost about half my fans. I can hear the groaning and the angry e-mails already. Oh well, you can't say I didn't warn you.

Thanks for reading everyone.

Until next time.


	12. Chapter 12

"Out of the way Kanna." Frowning, Ranma shifted his hold on Ryoga's limp body a little. After having seen Cologne blasted through the dojo wall so easily, he was _itching_ to get into the fight.

If only Kanna wasn't standing between him and the hole in the wall.

"No." Arms outstretched, the little albino girl was physically blocking the older boy from getting out of the dojo. She knew that it would be very dangerous for anyone to get involved in the fight. She felt it deep within her, like a voice was saying; _Sweet, merciful, crap. Did you see that one? When the hell did Kevin stop being such a dork?_

"Get out of the way. Don't make me move you." Giving the little girl a hard look, Ranma shrugged Ryoga off of his shoulder, ignoring how loud of a _thud_ the body made. "You know you can't beat me."

"..." Staring blankly for a moment, Kanna cocked her head, as if listening to something. Nodding a little, she put her hands to her gi top, and started taking it off.

"Augh!" Naturally, Ranma covered his eyes and looked away.

_Hah! Works every time._

-

"Rrrr, let me go right now you bimbo!" Struggling against the other Urd's hold, the local Urd kicked her feet, flailing her legs in frustration.

"Bimbo? Look who's talking, tramp!" Growling, Urd tightened her hold on her identical copy, tempted to smack some sense into the girl, but also well aware of how out of control the situation would get if she let go for even a second.

"...They... _Do_ know they're talking about themselves, right?" Cologne sweatdropped, staring at the identical Goddesses from her vantage point on the floor.

"Sometimes I wonder." Sighing, Kevin brushed off his duster. _Just once, I'd love for everything to go as I planned it. I don't know how Mato can put up with everything going so wrong all the time._ Kevin nearly winced as a little voice chimed in from the back of his brain. _Sure you do, the guy pretty much revels in chaos. I keep telling you that, when are you gonna start listening to me?_ "Tch." _The instant I'm sure that you are what I think you are, and NOT just the sound of me going crazy._

Eyeing the boy, Cologne thought quickly. It would take her a few minutes to figure out the counter to the weakness spell that had been cast upon her. In the meantime, she could figure out what the boy's aim in all of this was. "Why are you so eager to set your hands on a soul, boy?"

"Mato's not dead."

"Yes, he is." Cologne frowned. "I saw him die with these very eyes. He's buried back in my village, in China." Oh yes, she remembered that day very clearly, and always with a small pang of regret. Had Mato been born into her village... Ah, but what was the point of wishing for things that would never come to pass?

"So? He's died like, three times before. What's another one or two got to do with anything?" Kevin kept his eyes locked on the two Goddesses. It was mildly amusing to watch them once they started spitting and pulling hair, but that was mainly because Kevin was a teenaged boy, and this was a Divine catfight.

A chill raced through Cologne's veins as she processed that information. What if that were true? Wouldn't all the strange things Mato had said make actual _sense_, were that the case? "You're lying." That had to be it.

"Nope. Sorry." Kevin stroked the grip of Roland's gun lovingly, letting the pistol rest lightly in his hip holster. "Would I go to all the trouble of bringing a Goddess here to fight herself if I was making all this up?"

"Sit still you two bit harlot!"

"Harlot? Oh, that does it! URD BOLT!"

"Oh, here we go!" _Hit the dirt kid, this is where everything turns to light and ow._ Turning to the side, Kevin thew himself over Cologne's prone body, spreading his duster over the both of them. _Dammit, why didn't you warn me sooner?_ Plucking a tiny tube about as big around as a plastic pill, and three inches long, Kevin stuck one end between his teeth. _Hey, I thought I was just a crazy voice in your head._ Pressing his thumb against the middle of the tube, it snapped easily with a little pressure, dissolving in a flash of orange light. _Oh har har, this is hardly the time._ "Symphonic buffer!" A subsonic jolt of noise wrapped around the pair, striking up a bassy harmony with the thin threads of white light that ribboned through Kevin's duster, forming a protective cocoon of pure sound.

That barrier came in very handy, when a bolt of lightning crashed through the roof, slammed into the pair of Goddesses, and blew most of the room to splinters.

-

"Get out of the way!"

"No!"

Akane and Ukyo sweatdropped, as they watched Ranma and Kanna fighting.

It wasn't exactly a fight, as much as Ranma struggling to keep his grip on the girl halfway over his shoulder with one hand, and her gi top on _her_ with the other. Kanna, on the other end, was yanking on Ranma's braid with one hand, holding her other arm around his neck in an upside-down headlock. Her thin little legs flailed as she repeatedly kicked him in the chest, to little effect.

Clearly, this was not the adrenaline-fueled, high impact, martial arts battle the two teenaged girls were expecting.

"This has got to be the saddest fight Ranma's ever been in." Sighing, Akane put a hand to her brow, trying not to look directly at the sham she was witnessing.

"Well, don't forget that time with the gambler king... That was pretty sad too." Ukyo had managed to locate her battle spatula about halfway through the saddest, rather, _second_ saddest fight she'd ever seen. As pathetic as it was to watch Ranma being stalemated by a little girl, it was even sadder to watch him loose a game of old maid, to the officially worst player ever of the game.

That was when the lightning hit the Tendo house, knocking everyone off of their feet.

That was also the point when Shampoo jolted awake. Snapping up into a half-crouch, the purple haired girl felt her knee slam into something rock-hard. Letting out a string of choice Mandarin curses, she clutched her already swelling knee, and looked down at the offending object. _I am going to smash whatever it was into dust! I'll- oh..._ Sighing, Shampoo reached down. "Wake up, stupid lost boy." Grabbing a fistful of hair, Shampoo slammed Ryoga's face into the dojo floor a good dozen times.

"Uh?" Ryoga blinked, feeling someone gently nudge him awake. _Who is it? Ah, only Akane could be so gentle with me._ "Akane!" Reaching up, Ryoga lovingly wrapped his arms around the girl of his dreams, feeling his face press into her soft chest.

"...Khhcck... Khhk..." Shampoo's right eye, and the corner of her mouth twitched in unison, as she glared down at the offending teenager clinging to her torso. "Shampoo... Kill." Cocking back her arm, the Chinese Amazon barely checked her rage. Letting her arm drop limply to the floor, she shook her head. _No, I can't just hit him in the face for something like this._ Closing her hand around one of her Bonborri, which someone had kindly left beside her, she whipped it up and shattered it over Ryoga's skull in a single, swift movement. "Shampoo use this instead!"

Such a blow would easily crush a man's skull.

"Um, something wrong?" If only Ryoga's skull wasn't hard enough to shatter stone itself. Looking up, the lost boy quickly realized whom he'd been clinging to. "Eep!" Thrusting the girl away, Ryoga was instantly on his feet, blushing bright red.

Rolling to a stop against one of the dojo walls, Shampoo carefully eased herself up on her good leg. "Shampoo kill later. What happen?" Looking around, she noted that two people were missing from the dojo. "Where great-grandmother and Demon boy?" _That damn Demon, I'll make him pay for knocking me out. Nobody beats me th... Oh my._ Shampoo's eyes widened, as a sudden and horrifying thought occurred to her.

Lifting Kanna off of his face by the back of her gi, Ranma sat up, setting the little girl down beside him. "Granny and the kid went outside." Standing up, Ranma looked around the dojo quickly. "Akane, Ukyo, you two ok?"

Still very stiff, Akane barely managed to sit upright. "I'm ok Ranma... Ow, sort of." _Oh, I wish I'd had time to take that bath BEFORE all of this had happened._

Rolling onto her hands and knees, Ukyo forced herself up onto her feet, despite how her body moaned at her that it was not a good time to be moving. "I'm fine. We've gotta go help that kid though." Pulling her battle spatula off of her back, Ukyo started for the hole in the dojo's wall.

"Shampoo go too." Limping across the dojo to join Ranma and Ukyo, Shampoo had a grim expression on her face that was only partly due to the screaming agony of her swelling knee.

-

"Oh man, they blew the roof right off!" Raking a hand through his hair, shedding splintered bits of wood, Kevin stared up at the bright blue sky from the middle of the living room. _Damn, I am so glad I spent all that time and energy working on those protective spells. I'd be one crispy critter right now if I hadn't. As it is, I'm feeling a little worn from casting such a high-level barrier._ "You ok old lady?"

"I'll survive." Tucked under Kevin's arm, Cologne shook her head. _Whatever the boy protected me from, it's playing havoc on my body._ Frowning, the Elder tilted her head to look around the room. "You didn't need to dispell the weakness you had cast on me. I would have figured it out on my own."

"Yeah, well, I get the feeling that I'm gonna need some help to keep those people from before alive before this thing's over." Kevin glanced down at the old woman. "You _are_ gonna help me save everyone, right?"

_Such an innocent youth. I could kill him in an instant too, he's far too trusting._ Sighing inwardly, Cologne nodded. "Yes, I will help you." _But after what just happened, I know it wouldn't be in anyone's best interest to do that. Like it or not, that Goddess USED me. At least some of what this boy said was true._ "What happened?" _I highly doubt a true Demon would have saved me like that._

"Divine magic." Frowning, Kevin kicked what had once been the T.V. with the toe of his sneaker. "The lightning was made by pure magic, so it's shockwaves play hell with the senses of anyone who isn't used to protecting themselves from that sort of thing." Licking his lips, Kevin carefully made his way towards the back yard. _That was close though, Second class or not, Urd is WAY better with the zappy stuff than Sin-Skuld ever was._

"I take it you've fought Goddesses before?" Cologne made a mental note to begin carrying around a few protective talismans on her person from now on. It was starting to get insulting with just how many annoying things popped up to screw her day over.

"Just one, and I didn't even do more than distract her a little. Never go up against an insane Goddess unless you've got Mato watching your back." Kevin shoved a fragmented chunk of wall out of his way with his foot. "Or an army of superheroes. And at least two Spiderman and a clone."

"I didn't understand a word of that."

"Don't worry about it, it gives me a headache just remembering it sometimes." Peering out of the hole in the wall, Kevin flinched as a shudder ran through the shattered house. "Damn!"

"What?"

"More lightning. I think you'd be better off staying here."

"And what are you going to do?" Cologne _hated_ being helpless, it just wasn't in her nature to not be in control of a situation.

"Stay right here and hide." Flashing Cologne a shaky smile, Kevin crouched down and hunched over, peering out of the hole in the wall. "It's much safer to stay inside, incase they resort to using regular, conjured lightning."

"What's the difference?"

"Normal lightning follows the rules. Attracted to metal, grounding protects you. It's not Divine-shaped, so it's just like the regular stuff you see in storms. Takes less energy to call down too. I really don't like to rely on the stuff, since you can't- aw HELL!" Straightening up, Kevin stared outside. _Aw no, not now._ "Go back inside you idiots! It's a war zone out here!"

One of the people turned to look in Kevin's direction. Carrying a big, flat shovel too.

"Ah dammit!" Whipping his pistol out of his holster, Kevin made an odd sign with his free hand, after dumping Cologne to the floor. _Gotta be quick, or else-_ "Disarming bolt!" A short, green projectile spat out of the muzzle of Roland's gun, barely eight inches long. The parcel of mystical energy streaked across the back yard, and slammed into the girl holding the big shovel.

Seemingly of her own accord, the girl flung the weapon out of her hands, jerking like she'd been stuck in the rump with a cattle prod. The weapon flew into the air, turning end over end-

And was fried to a crisp as a bolt of lightning made a thirty-degree turn in mid-air to slam into the large metal object.

Heaving a huge sigh, Kevin slumped against the battered wall he hid behind. "Oh man, was that ever close. Get down on the ground, and crawl back into that building! Idiots!"

-

"EEK!" Flinching away from the flash of light, Ukyo was nearly knocked off of her feet by the shockwave. Hitting the dirt, along with the rest of the martial artists, she glanced back at where her spatula had last been.

A bucketful of powdered metal drifted to the ground.

_Oh God. How strong are those things?_ Crawling on her belly back into the dojo, Ukyo tried very hard not to think about how much energy it would take to not just melt metal, but reduce it to powder. _A lot._ "Ok, I vote we listen to the new guy, and stay inside."

"Shampoo second!" Despite her knee, the purple haired Amazon was making good time.

"Motion carried, let's all haul our butts back inside."

-

Darting aside as yet another bolt of lightning streaked past her, Urd gritted her teeth. _This isn't going well._ Pointing with her index and middle fingers, the Goddess fired another small bolt of lightning towards her counterpart. _I think I have the edge on skill, but I'm not aiming to kill._ Twisting around in a tight loop, she narrowly avoided yet another blast of energy. _She is._ Taking to a higher altitude to give her a moment's time to think, Urd spiraled around as she ascended, taking care not to travel in a straight line. _At this rate, we'll both be exausted from all the high level magic we're using. But that's when I play my trump card._ Urd smiled grimly, as she spun around, crossing her arms over her chest as thunder rumbled in the cloud-shot sky above her. _I have one trick up my sleeve that this Urd could never lay her hands on._ "Chain lightning!"

Dozens of ribbons of lightning snaked down out of the clouds, weaving this way and that as they raced past Urd, heading for the identical Goddess rushing up to meet her.

As expected, the other Urd channeled a lot of energy into wrapping a protective barrier around her body, blindly bulling her way up through the oncoming bolts. Growling as each strike leeched a little more away from her reserves, the local Goddess was dead set on slamming bodily into the other woman. _Kamikaze attack for the win!_

_So obvious. It's exactly what I would have done. Except..._ Smirking, Urd raised her hands over her head, focusing intently. _Except that I've had Mato around, pestering me about how important it is to be able to 'kick someone's ass without all those flashy magic tricks'. _There was a flicker, and all of a sudden, a wooden mallet with an eight foot half was held between Urd's slender fingers. "Whack-a-mole attack!" Jack-knifing her body, Urd slammed her mallet down on the other Goddess's head with all her might.

CRACK!

-

"Ok, I think the worst of it is over." Setting Cologne down outside the dojo, Kevin stepped back and shaded his eyes with a hand, peering up at the sky. "The clouds are starting to break up, I think." Trotting backwards a few paces, Kevin frowned. "So, one way or another, it looks like the fight has ended." _The only question is, which one of them won the fight? Nah, it's gotta be the good Urd. There's no way she'd lose to anyone, not even herself._

(Are you alright child?) Cologne brushed off her robes, noting that the hem was a little frayed from all the rough treatment she'd been subject to recently. _I should really take better care of these. Or, perhaps I should take care to be around such explosive magics?_

(I'm fine great-grandmother. My knee is sore. I smacked against that stupid lost boy's head.) Sighing, Shampoo limped her way over to sit at Cologne's side. "You is ok?" _My Japanese isn't that bad, I just need to practice at it more._

"I've been worse."

Stepping outside, Ranma stared at Kevin for a moment, then turned his gaze up towards the sky as well. "Hey, what's that, up in the sky?"

Blinking, Ukyo scooted outside to look up as well. "It's a bird?"

Ryoga, who'd somehow managed to get outside of the dojo without getting lost, stared at the ground. "I see the lawn."

Staring blankly, Kanna poked the lost boy in the leg. "The sky is up there."

Hobbling over to Ranma's side, Akane leaned on her fiancee's arm. "It's a plane?"

"No, it's a horribly mangled joke." Snorting, Kevin squinted, trying to make out what the shape actually was. _I think it's a... Waitasec. Why am I thinking about this? There's only two things it could be. Oh CRAP!_ Running backwards a few paces, Kevin scrambled about the yard, trying to get his position right. _I've only got one shot at this. Oh God, I hope I get this one right, and it's not BOTH of them falling down._ Crossing his arms before himself, Kevin began sweeping his hands around, tracing a complex pattern as he shifted his fingers into several different odd looking holds. _At the height she's falling from, it's gonna drain me dry._ Stretching his arms out towards the sky, as if he expected he could simply catch the falling object, Kevin flexed his knees.

In a heartbeat, the object had clearly become a falling body. In another, it was nearly ontop of the teenager.

"Inertial damper!" A complex webbing of pink and blue lines knotted itself together, just above Kevin's head. In an instant, the falling body slammed into the web, and came to an instant stop. Hovering for a moment, the body of the Goddess slowly drifted down, until she was laying on the ground, safe and sound. Grinning weakly, beads of sweat rolling down his face, and into his eyes, Kevin turned to flash a thumbs up at the little crowd of martial artists. "Oh yeah, tell me I'm aw-" Eyes suddenly drooping closed, the boy went limp, falling sideways.

"Shampoo!"

Despite her injured knee, the young Amazon was across the yard, and had wrapped her arms around the unconscious boy's waist before he had halfway fallen to the ground. "Shampoo have him." Hugging the boy to her chest, Shampoo stared at his pale, sweaty face. Ignoring the throbbing of her knee, she stood where she was, holding the limp body against her.

Sitting up, Cologne frowned. She'd been frowning a lot lately, though she blamed it more on the wild turns of events than simply old age. _It wouldn't do to let the boy just drop like that._ The Amazon Elder felt a thump of pride in her chest, as she stared at her great-granddaughter. Even with the injury to her leg, Shampoo was still swift and deadly, the pride of her tribe. She'd easily caught the boy before he could fall and likely hurt himself. _It's only natural. After all, no self respecting Amazon would let her husband to be drop to the ground like a rag doll._

-

Well, that's yet another chapter over and done with. I'm lucky that I managed to toss off the weight of my writer's block this morning, it was really starting to suck, not being able to come up with anything.

And hey, not I get to use that horrible, horrible line. "What a twist!"

Yuck.

And, be honest, how many of you were surprised by the bomb I dropped at the end there? Husband to be, indeed.

Review reply time!

Teturo- Yeah, I probably should have used that opportunity. To be honest, I really don't like Ryoga's character much. Then again, when he's not being an utter dip, he can have his moments. I should think a little more about giving him his own chance to shine.

Jusenkyo- Ah, dreaded illness, I feel sympathy for you. When I get sick, I just spend all my time moping and wallowing in misery. It's great fun. Nobody can say you _don't_ have a reason to be a gloomy gus, right? Don't worry about the lack of reviews... As long as you have a Doctor's note.

Ghost in the Machine- What can I say? You must have really hated reading the manga, knowing that no matter what, Ranma would win in the end, right?

And, to defend my snippy remark, all of my OCs have actual _character growth and development_. Of course, if you've never read Be careful what you wish for, or Mistaken Identity, and for the latter, I kind of wish nobody would, until I can rewrite it... You wouldn't know that they aren't Mary Sues, now would you? Well, actually, Mato sure comes off as one, doesn't he? Oh well, the curse of all Manga type characters, stupidly huge power growth that just gets boring in the end.

Thank God there's interesting plot to keep the fans around, no?

Pryde Kitty- Dammit! I did totally miss that chance, didn't I? I really regret forgetting such a classic joke... If I had thought of it, I would've had him sneeze _directly on someone_, in the middle of a fight. Ah well, c'est la vie. As for the leg, it's just being cranky. Sitting at the computer for hours on end, trying to come up with something to shatter my writer's block isn't too kind on the old body sometimes. But, here's a new chapter, so, that's something, right?

Scourgeofthegalaxy- Trust me, it is. You can literally _see_ how much I've improved over the course of that story. From 'bleah' to 'alright' in the end. On the plus side, this kind of addiction stimulates the mind, and doesn't utterly ruin your body and bank account, right? On the other hand, if you find yourself quoting this fic, you need help, _serious help._ Hah!

Well, that's it for the reviews this time. Always a bit of a bummer to have detractors, but it's even worse when they say such odd things. Oh well.

Until next time.


	13. Chapter 13

"Well, this is about as weird as it gets." Sighing, Ukyo slapped a rag over her eyes as she slumped back against the side of the tub. It was a delicious feeling, she realized, having a hot bath after such a terrible workout.

Akane nodded silently. She wasn't sure what she could add to that sentiment that would cover what hadn't been already said. Plus, she still felt like crap. The bath alone just wasn't cutting it.

Sunk in the tub up to her nose, Kanna jabbed her little rubber ducky around with a finger, watching it skim along the surface of the water with intense concentration.

"Shampoo stuck marry new boy." Sighing, the purple haired Amazon nursed her swollen knee. By this time, the joint had turned a rather ugly purple and had locked right up. It would take some time soaking in the hot water before it would free itself up again. _At least I didn't break it. Stupid lost boy, I'm going to get you for this one._ Warranted or not, Shampoo would have her revenge.

Then again, he did nuzzle his face into her chest.

The issue of Amazon marital issues was something nobody wanted to delve into. It was plainly clear that Shampoo was fishing for sympathy, but honestly, after the fifth time, none of the girls really cared anymore.

"Oh come on! Kevin's not that bad a catch." Stretching out her long legs, Urd lifted them out of the bathwater, dangling them over the edge of the tub. _The kid's come a long way since I first met him._ A smile curled the Goddess' lips as she thought back to that day.

Kevin had been lording around an abandoned building, and had magicked some suits of armor into attacking anyone who stumbled in on his little playing ground. Urd had been lurking in Mato's mind at the time, forced to hide there, disembodied, after fleeing from the maddened Skuld had captured her. It had been nerve-wracking, to say the least, to have her survival dependant on someone who came within millimeters of having his face sliced off.

That was the thing about Mato, nobody but her knew just how close he liked to skirt disaster. Always inviting death in close enough to kiss him. _He sure can move that body of his though. Mmmhmhmhmmm..._ An odd expression swept over Urd's face, as she giggled in her mind.

"Uh, right..." Ukyo eyed the Goddess oddly. This was by far the _weirdest_ thing that had ever happened to her in the bath, and what she'd been referring to only a minute ago. _This is starting to get a little creepy._

Akane remained silent, brooding over private thoughts.

Kanna jabbed her ducky, sending it skimming back the way it had came.

"Is easy for you say! You is Goddess, Shampoo is Amazon."

"...And?" Crossing her shapely legs, Urd examined them for any scrapes or bruises before idly swinging them a little. "How many men do you know who can say they're accomplished Sorcerers?"

"But-"

"Or can claim that they've mastered interdimensional travel?" Folding her arms behind her head, Urd shook out her mass of damp, white hair, spraying droplets everywhere. "Aaahh... Face it, Kevin's a good kid."

"But is no good fighter!" Wiping trickles of water from her face, Shampoo began to very gently massage her poor knee. Clearly, the results of the day's events had left her less than satisfied with the outcome on her end.

"Maybe not at hand to hand, but he beat you and the little old lady, didn't he?" Letting her eyes droop closed, Urd indulged herself in a smug little smirk. _Maybe I shouldn't tease her... Then again, it's not like girls are lining themselves up to take a shot at the poor boy either._

Shampoo bristled at that one. "Shampoo is good fighter! Shampoo is best-" Pausing for a moment to take stock of her situation, she looked around the tub. "...Is best on this side of tub?"

Akane shot Shampoo an irritated look, but said nothing.

Kanna glanced down for a moment, and got a nosefull of bathwater for her trouble. Sputtering for a moment, she cleared her nostrils, then scooched over one way.

"Shampoo is still best."

Pouting, Kanna scooched back to where she'd been sitting. She also made it a point to jab her ducky _away_ from Shampoo.

"Face it girl, that means nothing." Sighing, Urd reclined in the tub. _Maybe she wouldn't make a good match for him after all. She seems a bit too self-centered for my tastes._ Ironic, considering who that was coming from. "You've just stepped into the league where you have to be able to take out a Goddess to be recognized. You're _way_ out of your league."

Growling, Shampoo began to stand up, mouth forming a choice Mandarin curse as her knee suddenly became a bundle of tightly knotted flame. Letting out a whimper, Shampoo quickly slipped back down into her previous position, and clutched at her leg. "Owwie..."

"Relax, you're going to pop a gasket at this rate." Opening an eye, Urd glanced at Shampoo for a moment. "Why don't you just take a little time to get to know him, before you decide to go through with this whole marriage thing?"

Shampoo blinked at the Goddess, despite the throbbing in her poor knee. "...Um..."

"Uh, Ms. Goddess?"

"Just Urd is fine."

"Fine, Urd then." Ukyo _really_ didn't want to get involved, but something needed to be said. "There's something you should probably know about Chinese Amazons and when they fight people..."

-

"He doesn't look very powerful." Ryoga leaned over, Poking Kevin in the face a few times.

Frowning, Ranma shot Ryoga a glare from where he was sitting. He'd been studying that little slip of paper with the crude stick figure on it, the one he'd got from China. "Knock it off moron, I saw what he did to Shampoo... Wait, you were there too, weren't you?" Puzzled for a moment, he tried to remember how the events had played out. "Ah, whatever. Just stop messin' with him."

Kevin was laying on the dojo floor, spread out on one of it's mats. He had been unconscious for the past hour, barely doing much more than breathing, but at least he wasn't quite as pale as he had been when he'd first collapsed.

A scream, or a noise that sounded very similar to one, came from the direction of the Tendo house.

"Akane!" Ryoga jumped up and raced out of the dojo.

Ranma sweatdropped. "That didn't sound like Akane..."

"Oh, hello Ryoga." Kasumi smiled at the lost boy, leaving the sweeping alone for a moment. "Where are you running off to?"

"The house! Akane's in trouble!"

"Oh, my... Well, the house is back _that way_, if you're wondering." Smiling still, Kasumi gently turned Ryoga to face the house, that was indeed behind him.

"Oh... Thank you!" With that, the lost boy took off at a sprint. He raced past Ranma, who could only shake his head at the sheer idiocy of it all. Once inside the house, the sound of several doors slamming open let everyone know what was going on. "Akane? Akane? Ak- oops! Sorry Mr. Tendo. Akane? Ak-"

"Mini Shi Shi Hoku Dan!"

WHAM!

"...Idiot." Sighing, Ranma shook his head as he wandered back into the dojo. Leaning over, he checked on the new kid, a little concerned that he still hadn't budged from where he'd dropped him. _I wonder if it's true, what he was sayin' about Mato not being dead?_ Blinking a few times, Ranma thought about that, still leaning over. _If that's true an' all... I wonder what he's doin' right now?_

-

Sighing quietly to himself, Mato Hibiki brushed off what was left of his tunic. _Ah man, it's trashed... Again. What a surprise._ Rubbing his nose a little, the pigtailed martial artist ambled along, without a particular destination in mind. _Why don't my shirts ever last as long as they should? I don't think I've ever actually outgrown one, or had it get faded in the wash._

The landscape was rather desolate, no surprise there. Rough, rocky plains of gravel, marred occasionally by bone dry creek beds or shallow depressions where there may have been ponds once.

"I wonder what Hell looked like _before_ it became the dumping ground of the damned?" Scratching his head a few times, Mato suddenly turned and pointed a finger. "Sneak attack, right?"

Frozen in mid-pounce, the shaggy horror stood were it was, fang-filled mouth gaping open in surprise.

"Yeah, heh. I thought so." Smirking, Mato rushed forward, cocking back a fist to smash the thing's head open. "Alright you furry bastard, time to- ah..." He suddenly came to a stop, mere inches away from the thing.

The thing in question blinked in surprise.

"Ah... Aaaahhh..."

-

"...Nnnhhh... Mato?" Blinking a few times, Kevin lifted a hand up to shade his eyes, staring at the blurry face that hovered above him. He couldn't pick out much detail, but there was no way he could miss the braid hanging over his shoulder. "Oh, man... I finally found you." A wave of relief crashed down over Kevin like a warm wave, melting the hunk of ice that had been lurking down in his stomach for the past few hours.

Uncomfortable, and given the circumstances it was understandable, Ranma shook his head. "No... I'm _Ranma Saotome._"

"Oh..." Deflating a little, Kevin let his arm drop over his face. "Sorry. I can't see too well right now, but, the braid and all..." _Dammit, I thought... Argh._ Rolling over onto his side, Kevin curled up into a ball. _This sucks. It really, really does._

"Uh, you ok man?" Ranma sweatdropped, staring down at the teenager. "...You're not gonna cry, are ya?"

"What?" Sitting up, Kevin glared at Ranma. "The hell I am! I don't have time to by moping around!" Sparked into action, Kevin reached up to grab the other boy. In a heartbeat, said other boy had snatched his arm by the wrist, and was starting to twist it. "Ow. Help me get _up._"

"Oh, I thought... Right, sorry." Unlike every single other boy Ranma knew, this one wasn't his rival. It was a little odd, but incredibly refreshing, to know a guy who wouldn't attack him all of a sudden for some stupid reason. "Um, you ok?"

"No. I'm _starving._ Do you know, urgh." Hauled up onto his feet, Kevin wobbled a bit, clutching Ranma's shoulder for support. "Do you know how much energy it takes to stop someone like I did? Here's a hint; It's a lot."

Sweatdropping again, Ranma threw one of Kevin's arms over his shoulder. "Kasumi could cook you something, I guess." _This is so weird. It'd be more normal if he took a swing at me._

"Really? Is she a good cook? How much trouble would it be? Because I could always just-"

"Ah, no. She _likes_ cooking. Really."

"Well, I still think I should do something for her."

Grinning oddly, Ranma started helping Kevin towards the house. _Wow, he's almost like a male version of Kasumi. He's actually NICE._

"Hey, I know. I could get Urd to magic the house back into one piece."

"She can do that?"

"Are you kidding? She blows up her house all the time."

"... Creepy."

"I know, isn't it?"

-

"Oh man... I am _so_ sorry about that... It really must suck at a time like this, having all the fur, right?" Smiling sheepishly, Mato rubbed his nose._ Somebody must be talkin' about me again... Huh, I wonder who? Ah, bet it's Hild._

Shooting him a dirty look, the shaggy beast that _had_ been about to attack the martial artist slunk away instead. Mostly to go and try to get the worst of the nose goo out of it's fur.

"Hey! I _said_ I was sorry!"

In the history of Hell, it was the first time anything had even been defeated by a _sneeze_, of all things. Once again, Mato was doing what had never been done before.

How disgustingly heroic.

-

Back in the bathroom...

"Whaddya mean Kevin has to marry her?!"

Things had not improved much.

"Is Amazon law! Shampoo marry boy if he beat, kill girl if she beat Shampoo."

"That's the stupidest law I've ever heard! Who came up with something like that?" On her feet by this point, Urd was nose to nose with Shampoo, and yelling in the girl's face. _Mato is gonna KILL me when he finds out about this._ Urd flashed back to one of the last conversations she'd had with Mato, before he'd...

-

"Look, Urd..." Flicking his braid over his shoulder, Mato began rubbing one side of his neck. "I'm gonna go deal with this, then I'll just go and take on Skuld, ok?"

Urd stared up at the two hundred foot war machine that the insane Goddess had built, just to slow the both of them down. Just a few miles away, their little rag tag band of recruited heroes were fighting their way through the front lines, racing to catch up to the both of them. "Uh, are you sure? We have practically an army by now, we could just-"

"Nah. You kiddin'? Do you know how much trouble they'd be in if they got involved?" Rolling his shoulders a few times, Mato glanced down at himself and frowned. "Dammit, that last fight ripped all these little holes in my shirt."

"Mato! This is serious!"

"Yup. So, make sure you check in on Kevin and Erica from time to time, ok?" Picking at his tunic for a moment, he brushed it off and sighed. "Another one ruined... Anyway, yeah. Make sure that if he starts playing hero again, you take care of him, ok?"

"What? Do I look like some sort of babysitter to you?" Outraged, Urd was tempted to smack Mato upside the head with a good sized lightning bolt, just to remind him who she was.

"Yes. You totally owe me for saving your life that last dozen times or so..." Turning to look over his shoulder at her, he smirked. "So, yeah. I'll see you around sometime. Bye." With that, Mato charged forward, heading straight at the massive metal beast Skuld had crafted for them.

-

"Is Amazon law! Must uphold!"

Urd shook her head, bringing herself back to the present. "So what? Kevin's not an Amazon, so he shouldn't have to follow your laws!" _I am so dead, dead, dead._

"Shampoo not care what white hair think! Is Amazon law! Shampoo is Amazon, so must uphold law!" Furious at this _outsider_ telling her what to do, Shampoo was tempted to give her the kiss of death. _I worry sometimes that that particular law gives off the wrong kind of message about us. Maybe we should change it to the 'kick of death'. That would speed up the process a lot._

"Well too bad! Kevin's my charge, so I'm the one responsible for him. I say he's too young to get married, so tough luck!" _Oh, I wish Belldandy was here. She can get anyone to listen to reason. Hey, I wonder if there's a version of her in this dimension too? On Earth, I mean. That would be pretty handy right about now._

"Look..." Hunched up in the bath, Ukyo was trying to not get stepped on by the squabbling pair. "Could you two go somewhere _else_ to have your screaming match? Some of us are trying to relax here."

The pair turned to glare at Ukyo as one. "Shut up! We're busy!"

Sweatdropping, Ukyo waved her hands at them. "It was just a thought."

By this point, Akane had crawled out of the bath, realizing that she wasn't going to be getting any more relaxed in that part of the house. Sighing, she grabbed her towel, swabbed at her damp body a few times, then wrapped it around her. She stepped on Ryoga on her way out, and for once didn't feel much regret about it.

He _had_ ended up peeping on them for the second time now, intentionally or not. He was not winning any points with any of the ladies under the Tendo roof, that was for sure.

Meanwhile, Kanna was watching the two females arguing with some interest. She had a nagging feeling in the back of her head that she shouldn't be enjoying it as much as she actually was.

_Oh yeah, best view in the house._

But for the life of her, she couldn't understand why that was. _They sure do jiggle a lot._ Kanna looked down at herself, then over at Ukyo, puzzled. "... Ukyo, why is my chest so flat?"

"Gleep." Sweatdropping, Ukyo yanked her gaze away from the Amazon and the Goddess. _Oh boy, how do I even begin to explain this one?_ "Uhh, well... You see..."

_Welcome to the joys of being human. First stop; Puberty!_

-

Sitting in the living room, Cologne took a long sip of tea before seating herself on the floor, not quite in the middle of the room. Taking a deep breath, she considered the only other occupant sharing the room with her.

Bound at the ankles, as well as from shoulder to waist in rope, the local Urd was not looking pleased with her current situation. If she didn't also have a large gag stuffed into her mouth, she would most definitely have vocalized this displeasure with the rest of the world, _very loudly._

"So then... What shall we talk about?" Smiling a little, Cologne lifted her teacup to her lips again. "Perhaps we could discuss why you decided to lie and use the Amazons as pawns?"

-

Chapter end! Computer problems, long story, sorry for the delay on this chapter.

Sigh.

Not a lot to talk about here really. I need to go out of town for awhile, to clean a garage that hasn't been cleaned in, oh, sixty or so years? This is probably the last thing I need to do for grandpa, what with him being, uh, passed on and all. So, no new chapter next week, and depending on how long I need to decompress, possibly the week after as well...

Then again, if I get the chance to do any writing while I'm out of town, I could be wrong. But seeing as how it's an eight to ten hour drive _one way_, that is _very_ unlikely to happen.

Sigh.

It seems my post script notes get shorter every time I post them. Meh, let's just get on with it.

Review replies!

Teturo- I'd call that myth confirmed! Hah! As a side note, Kevin needs to actually be _aware_ of his problem, before he can do anything about it. It doesn't matter how swift he is, if nobody brings it up while he's in earshot, right?

Scourgeoftheglaxy- Writer's block does drive me nuts. A lot of times, I have trouble getting down what I have in mind, as it just slips away along with my good mood when I sit down. Hmm, maybe I just need caffeine? Hope you can hold off on the death sticks next week. Good luck.

Pryde Kitty- Honestly, with the way it's going, who knows how many chapters it'll take before they catch up to him? All the yelling does slow everything down to a crawl. I have to say, sometimes, staying true to the character's natures can really slow things down. And yes, I did get the cheap joke in there, and yet somehow kept it unseen. How odd. Revenge of the Amazon will have to wait though, as I have some things to take care of in life that will keep me away from this story for about a week or so. Hopefully, the memory of the whack-a-mole attack will give you some small comfort until I return. Glad you liked the chapter.

Jusenkyo- Well, hopefully it won't _actually_ kill you. That would suck, and I might be liable.

Warning; A careless wish may cause; joy, laughing, worry, feelings of suspense, apprehension, anger, watery eyes, aching sides, large amounts of fluid travelling down the back of the head, broken noses due to sudden high speed impacts with the ground for no apparent reason, proofreading, and in some cases character death. Do not take orally, do not take as a suppository, do not take with fluids. A careless wish is not for everyone, so please consult a fellow reader before deciding if it is right for you.

Alright, so. That's done. I need to pack. Where I'm headed, there's still a chance of snow, and it's _freezing_ out still. Wish me luck.

Until next time.


	14. Chapter 14

"Aw-naw-naw-waw... Nom nom nom... Mrrrffrr, umph..."

The entire Tendo family, both Amazons, Kanna, Ukyo, and Urd, all stared at Kevin.

Which was understandable, as he was staring at Ranma and his father, looking mildly horrified at the way they ate. "...Tea please."

Smiling, Kasumi leaned over and filled the inter-dimensional visitor's cup. "Here you are." For once, her calm actually looked a little strained. "So, um... Akane tells me you're from another world?"

Nodding, Kevin sipped his tea. "Yuh-huh."

"... Is... It nice there?"

"I guess." Sip.

"...That's good."

Everyone watching the pair, save the piggish Saotomes, sweatdropped. It seemed Kevin possessed a special power. A power this world had never seen before.

The power to make awkward conversation with Kasumi.

-

Darting forward, Mato slammed his elbow into the face of a damned soul, then spun around, narrowly avoiding having his face sliced off by the claws of a huge, horned, purple Demon. "Ah, dammit! Not the face jerk, it's how I make my living."

For an instant, the big creepy thing looked like it was sneering at him.

"Ah whatever. Mindless killing machines suck at banter anyways." Cocking back his arm, Mato bashed it's fang-filled face in.

Or, he would have, had it not become unfocused, before vanishing.

"Wh- ok, what the crap was that?" He spun around, looking for the thing. "Seriously, th- AGH!" Thin lines of fire raced across his back, sinking in nearly to the bone.

"Lies." A blur of purple flickered into view before the wounded human, droplets of liquid flame trickling down it's claws. "You make no living."

"Ok, first of all... OW. Second of all, kiss my ass, jerk. Third of all, OW." Darting forward again, Mato lashed out in a vicious combination of punches and backhand strikes, all of which missed, as the Demon grew hazy and vanished once more. _Ok, dammit. This thing is getting on my nerves... Plus, it's ugly. Also, I'm kinda hungry, and I'm bleeding. Thirsty too, wonder if they have a 7-11 down here or anything?_

"The only thirst that will be slaked is my own, human."

"Geh? AH! OW!" Another series of slices razored over Mato's back, sending him stumbling forward, nearly into the arms of the purple Demon as it flicked into view again. _Fast and ugly... Why do I always have to run into these types? Well, it could be worse, he can't be that strong. _Without warning, Mato lashed out with his arm, putting everything he currently had behind the punch. "Kiss the fist assho-"

Unsurprisingly, the Demon easily caught the punch in one of it's clawed hands. "No." The Demon tightened it's grip on the human's fist, squeezing it. "You were wrong, I am indeed as fast as I am strong. You have encountered none like me before."

_Ow, my back AND my hand. Who the Hell does this guy think he is, anyway? Wait, better not ask that one, I'll probably have to listen to his whole damn life story._

"I do not think, I know." Tightening it's grip a little more, the Demon hauled it's prey up off of the ground, dangling him infront of it's face by the arm. "I am Goshinki, third spawn of Naraku." Grinning hideously at the shock that ran through the little human, it continued. "I was slain four hundred years ago by a whelp of a dog Demon." The Demon considered him for a moment. "You remind me of that worm."

"Oh... Great." _This is where it starts to REALLY hurt._

"Yes... It will."

"... Super."

-

Sighing, Kevin stared at the baseball sized spheres of rice that sat in a little plate on his lap. _Well, I do like rice... But man would I kill for a hotdog right about now._ Picking one up, he put it to his lips, and took a little nibble. "... Mmm. Hey, this rice is better than the stuff we have back home. Maybe it's got something to do with the microwave?"

Shampoo almost sighed as well, but for a different reason. Standing on the back porch, having just come out of the house after a long talk with the Tendos and Saotomes, she stared at the back of her fiancee, sitting on the edge of the porch. _He's not a fighter, and he beat me through trickery._ Moping a bit, the young Amazon toed at the surface of the porch a little, listless and depressed.

( Get out there girl, he's not going to marry you if you're sulking around back here. ) Poking Shampoo in the leg with the tip of her staff, Cologne frowned at her great grand-daughter.

( Ah! Don't scare me like that! ... And I'm not sulking, I'm... Plotting how to... Seduce... ) Sighing, Shampoo couldn't even muster up the strength to finish the lie.

Blinking, Kevin turned back to look over his shoulder at the sound of voices. "Mrph?" Chewing rice still, he gave the Amazons a little wave. _Oh, it's those people that tried to kill me. Hello people who tried to kill me. Yeah, no. I don't think they'd get the joke._

Waving back, Shampoo sighed again. ( I just don't feel very much like talking right now. ) Tilting her head down, she stared at the wrapping binding her knee. Pressure points, hot baths, and ice packs could only do so much, it was up to her body to deal with the rest of it.

( You're doing a lot of talking right now. )

Shaking her head, Shampoo fisted the hem of her shirt. ( It's not the same. Besides, he can't understand me, and insulted my Japanese. )

Tucking her hands into the sleeves of her robe, Cologne bowed her head in thought. ( I think that was mainly to distract you during the fight child. He _did_ say that the dead boy was his mentor. It would make sense that he would emulate his way of speaking. )

( That's even worse! I don't want to talk about that stupid dead boy! ) Squeezing her eyes shut, Shampoo felt the flames of bitter shame and jealousy stir within her. To think that such an idiot had not only bested Shampoo when fighting that Demon, so easily, but also gave his life doing it, rather than prolong the fight and risk the village... It tore her up inside.

To think you were better than another was normal, all humans had pride in what they excelled at, it was only natural to be proud of what you'd spent years accomplishing.

But to have someone you thought you were better than suddenly prove just how much better they were, when you'd failed so utterly...

It was torture.

Sighing, Cologne shook her head. _It seems she still has not yet come to terms with that day. Perhaps she never will..._ ( Fine, then we shall speak of your new husband. Perhaps when you marry him, he will remain here, rather than return to his own world. )

Kevin sputtered, gagging on half-chewed rice.

Both Amazons stared at the American.

Coughing, Kevin managed to avoid choking or throwing up. "Wh-wh..." Swallowing down the last of the food, he shot the pair a shocked look. "What the hell do you _mean_ HUSBAND?"

( ...He... Understood us? ) Shampoo tilted her head to the side.

"Of _course_ I did! You're standing right there, talking behind my back! How the hell could I _not_-"

( ... Boy, could you say _I like fresh fish_ for me? ) Cologne frowned, a thought occurring to her.

Giving the old woman a look that clearly said he thought she was off her rocker, Kevin wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand. ( I like fresh fish. )

( ... Now say _pickled parrots._ )

( ... Pickled parrots. )

( Good. ) Walking over, Cologne stared at the boy's face. "Now tell me, what color is Shampoo's hair?"

"Uh, duh. It's purple."

"I see. Tell me boy, how many languages do you speak?"

"English, obviously... Uh, and Japanese?" Kevin smiled weakly, looking away.

"But not Mandarin?"

"No, why?"

Curling her fingers about her staff, Cologne lightly thumped it against the surface of the porch. "Why then, could you understand Shampoo and myself speaking Mandarin just a moment ago then?"

"... I what?"

_...Idiot._

_Shut up, voice in my head._

-

Skidding across the rough ground, Mato rolled up onto his feet and slid to a stop. "... Ow." A trickle of blood flowed from his lips, and he wiped at it with his forearm. _This is starting to get real tiresome now. Also, my everywhere hurts._ Shaking his head to flick his dusty bangs out of his eyes, Mato lunged forward, slapping aside a clawed hand as it struck out at his face.

"Just lay down and die, pitiful human." Goshinki blurred and was suddenly standing behind the human. "It will be over quickly." Drawing an arm across it's chest, it swatted the little man away like he was a toy.

Tumbling heels over head, Mato flopped onto his stomach and lay there for a moment. "...Ow." Groaning, he tucked his arms beneath himself, levering himself upright. _Note to self; Stop fooling around with the Demon and kick his ass... At some point._

-

"Ready?"

"Ready!"

Smirking, Ranma gestured for Kanna to attack him. _She's not ready._

_Oh, is he in for a surprise._ "Wait." Reaching into her gi, the little albino girl pulled a strip of white cloth out. _Just remember kiddo, trail your leading side, it'll throw him off for a second._ Nodding to herself, the small girl tied the cloth around her forehead, flicking her pale hair out of her way. _Also, we need to get you a red bandanna. BRIGHT red._ "Ready." A sudden smirk curled up one corner of Kanna's mouth as she darted forward.

"Uh... Ack!" Jumping backward, Ranma found himself suddenly on the wrong end of a barrage of punches and kicks, all coming from the wrong side of the girl's stance. _Wh- what is this?_ Catching a punch that had gone too wide, Ranma spun around the threw his attacker aside. _I didn't teach her to fight like this._

Flipping over in mid-air, Kanna struck the wall of the dojo feet-first, flexing her knees to absorb the impact and keep her against the wall for a split second. "Mini Shi Shi-" Cupping her hands at her side, a flicker of light appeared between her fingers. "Hoku-"

In an instant, Ranma was across the dojo and grabbing Kanna by the front of her gi. "Not in the dojo!" Spinning around, her tossed the girl across the wide room.

Flipping upside down as she flew, Kanna pointed her hands back the way she came. "DAN!" There was a flicker of yellow, and something sputtered softly. "...Huh? Why didn't-"

_Ground, GROUND!_

"Eep!" Twisting around, Kanna managed to turn what could have been a nasty sprawling, _bruising_ landing into a breakfall. Coming up on her hands and knees, she glared back at Ranma. _What went wrong? It didn't work._

A twinkle gleamed in Ranma's eye, apparently he was impressed with how fast Kanna was improving on her own. _Not bad, but I wonder if she learned that trick from Ukyo, or just watched her do it enough?_ Ranma charged across the dojo, making a mental note to ask the girl later.

_Ah, tch, I forgot. You were a void before, right?_

_Yes._ Rising to her knees, Kanna crossed her arms to block a low kick from Ranma, then rolled backwards to give herself enough space and time to get up to her feet. _Why should that matter?_

_Well, you're not the type to fill yourself with any particular emotion. Most human martial artist use whatever emotion they align with. While not her style, Ukyo's been relying on the depression she's been in lately, just like Ryoga. Ranma uses his ego- errr, confidence._

_So what do I use?_ Blocking a series of punches aimed at her kidneys, Kanna continued to give ground before the older martial artist. _What should I fill myself with?_

_Nothing. Don't fill yourself. Let him fill you._

_Ah!_ Leaping away, Kanna tucked her body up into a ball and flipped backwards, coming out of her tumble just in time to absorb her impact into the wall behind her by flexing her legs. Cupping her hands at her side, Kanna kept her eyes locked on the older boy.

Having seen this trick before, Ranma already knew how to counter it. Smirking, he darted in and grabbed Kanna's gi with both hands. "Too slow kid!"

Rather than react with surprise, Kanna slapped her palms down on Ranma's back. "Hibiki Void strike!" The light around the pair dimmed a little, as a pulse of nothingness warped the air around the girl's hands.

Surprised by the sudden, very odd feeling, Ranma quickly finished his throw. Tossing his student across the dojo again, he slapped at his back, trying to figure out why he felt a bit numb. _What the heck was that?_

Landing gracefully in the middle of the dojo on the toes of one foot, Kanna smirked again. Dropping into a Saotome-style stance, the little girl beckoned for Ranma to come at her. "C'mon, izzat all ya got?"

"Uuuuhhh... Huh?"

"Fine. If you're gonna jus' stand there..." Springing forward, Kanna planted a foot and lunged into a long reaching punch. "I'll attack! Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!" The little girl's arm became a sudden blur as a barrage of several dozen punches rocketed at the shocked Saotome.

_Heh, well I'll be... You're a ditto fighter._

_...Wait, 'Hibiki Void Strike'?_

-

Sighing, Urd waggled a TV guide before the local Urd's nose a few times.

Said local Urd had stopped frothing at the mouth a long time ago, and was now in a state of catatonic shock.

"See? _This_ is how you extract information from her." Shooting Cologne a small smile, Urd began flipping through the guide. "...Wonder what's on tonight?"

"Er, yes... Well, thank you." Coughing into her fist, Cologne turned to address the remainder of the group. She wasn't too put off that her interrogation techniques had failed, considering her subject was a Goddess, and therefore outside her realm of experience. A little annoyed, perhaps. "Now, thanks to..." Trailing off for a moment, Cologne decided to cut to the chase, and skip all the confusing details. "Information, that we've just gained... We know that son-in-law should be able to open a portal to Hell itself to extract your friend."

Ranma sweatdropped. "What? Why the hell would you expect _me_ to be able to do-"

"Not you." Sighing, Cologne pointed over at Kevin. "Him."

Everyone turned to look where the Elder was pointing.

They also sweatdropped when they realized that Shampoo was sitting in the boy's lap, and that neither one of them looked very pleased with the position they were in.

"...Hi." Hanging his head, Kevin tried to half-heartedly push Shampoo out of his lap.

Naturally, Shampoo stubbornly remained where he was, lightly smacking his hand away.

"Yes, well... Ahem." Sweatdropping, Cologne scooped a little glass orb the size of a tennis ball out of her sleeve. "I had Mousse bring this."

Ukyo blinked, looking around. "Say, where did he get to anyway?"

"I sent him back to the restaurant."

Ukyo sweatdropped. "Don't you think we could use the extra help?"

"And just who is going to handle the lunch rush?" Frowning, Cologne glared at Ukyo, as if it were a very stupid question to be asked. Considering they were both chefs, it really was.

"Oh, right... Sorry."

"Moving on." Kevin tried to poke Shampoo away again. "I whipped up a locater spell over lunch, so um... I'm ready to do this thing now, if I can have my lap back?"

Getting up with a huff, Shampoo moved to stand over by the local Urd, leaning over to poke her in the face a few times. "...Shampoo hate."

Kanna, who had been watching Kevin and Shampoo with interest, moved over to _also_ poke the catatonic Goddess. "Me too." Poke poke. "... It's squishy."

Glancing down, Shampoo grabbed the girl's wrist, and moved her hand away from the Goddess' chest. "No poke there, is for boys to do."

"Oh."

"_Moving on._" Looking uncomfortable, Kevin carefully took the little glass ball from Cologne and stared into it's depths. _Well, crystallized mana and a pre-cast spell, all rolled up into one. Neat._ Balancing the orb in the palm of one hand, Kevin began sweeping the other over it in a series of gestures that grew more complex and rapid with each pass.

After a few seconds of trying to follow what was going on, Ranma uncrossed his eyes and gave up. Sidling around the edge of the group, he joined Cologne on the other side of the back yard. "You see where Ryoga went?"

Cologne didn't take her eyes off of Kevin's hands, trying to memorize the patterns he was making. _Very complex for using only one hand... My my, how he must have practiced in order to use his weapon as a focus for his powers. It seems he may yet make a good groom for Shampoo._ "I sent him with Mousse to make lunch."

Ranma sweatdropped. "Errr, don't you think we could use his help here?"

"And have him run into the portal to Hell, and lure possibly an entire legion of the damned back this way, into our world? I think not."

"Right, bad idea."

A sudden flash of light brought all conversation to a halt. A thin disc of grey rent the air, rotating slowly as it began to radiate heat and dull red dust drifted out of it on a smokey breeze.

-

Pausing in mid-strike, a very large, purple Demon cocked it's head, staring at the floating disc. "Amusing... It seems some foolish mortal is attempting to summon something from this layer." It's fang-filled maw twisted into a horrible smile. "Let us go and see who." Dragging a bloody and broken body of a human behind it, Goshinki walked towards the portal.

"...Serious... Ow."

-

"Alright, portal complete." Carefully setting the glass orb down on the pillow he'd snagged from the house, Kevin rolled his shoulders a few times. _Ah, back cramp! I'm getting all tense and nervous. It's nothing, it's only a portal to Hell itself. Nothing to worry about, right?_

_Oh yeah, just Hell, no biggie._

_Shut up, voice in my head._ Kevin rolled his shoulders again. _Not a good time to mock me. This is scary stuff._ "Ok, everyone _not_ willing to stick their head into the scary portal, step back now. I'm gonna- WOAH! Ugly!"

Indeed, something very ugly came through the portal.

It was also large, purple, and downright evil looking. Taking a moment to scan it's surroundings, it hauled something up from the ground behind it, right up to it's face. "So this is the world now? How interesting... It seems to have changed little."

The thing it was holding looked like a ragged mass of bloody, torn flesh, wrapped in filthy shreds of crimson and rust stained clothing. Ukyo couldn't help but gag a little. _Whatever it is, it looks like it's been ripped to shreds a few ti-_ "Ghhkk..."

Everyone standing in the yard had frozen in place at the sight of the hideous beast, but a few of the humans were startled out of their shocked state by the strangled noise the chef had made.

Kanna reached over and grabbed Ukyo's hand, jiggling it a few times. "Ukyo, what is it?" At the lack of a response, she tugged at the older girl's hand several times. "Ukyo. Ukyo!"

Flinching, Ukyo looked down at Kanna for a moment, before her eyes snapped back to the beast. Her free hand slowly lifted, and she pointed a single finger at whatever it was the Demon was holding. "...Yellow... Bandanna..."

A ripple of shock went around the yard, as it quickly dawned on everyone just who that mangled piece of meat in the purple monster's grasp was.

"Aaahhh, so... You know this wretch." Drinking in their fear, Goshinki couldn't help but bask in their collective horror. "So, he means a lot to you all, does he?" Hefting the human over his head, Goshinki swiftly jabbed his large hand straight through Mato's back, clawed fingertips protruding from the human's chest.

"Ghhhkk..." For a moment, Ukyo thought she was going to keel over and vomit until she died. But surprisingly, she didn't feel anything. Not. A. Single. Thing.

"Have what's left." Smiling with that horrible, fang filled mouth of his, Goshinki tossed the human across the yard. The body bounced once, then crashed through the side of the Tendo dojo.

Staring blankly at the Demon, Ukyo couldn't help but wonder why she didn't feel anything at all. Shouldn't she have been mad? _I don't... I'm not... I think..._ Then, slowly, she felt something. A moment ago, she'd felt nothing but a numbing emptiness. Now she felt something, a prickle of heat that started at her hand, and swiftly blazed into life deep within her heart. _I think I'm going to KILL that thing._ Reaching back with her free hand, Ukyo pulled her battle spatula off of her back, glancing down at Kanna. "You'd be- eh?"

Still holding onto Ukyo's hand, a vivid, bright red sheet of flame danced around the little albino girl's body. Her expression had twisted into horrible look of sheer rage. "... I'm going to rip that thing to _pieces_."

A low, guttural chuckle came from the purple beast standing in the yard. In an instant, it was towering over the two enraged girls, leering down at them. "You burn brightly, little vermin. Let me see if you are the same color on the inside." Reaching down with a large, clawed hand, Goshinki began to close it's fingers around the girls.

There was a sharp crack, and a splurt of blood flew into the air.

Howling in pain, the Demon yanked it's hand back, the stump where one of it's fingers had been dripped dark ichor.

Thumbing back the hammer on Roland's gun again, Kevin's jaw was firmly set. _Why the hell am I just standing here?_ "Back off, beastie. The next shot comes for your eye if you try to touch them again." _Oh man, if I wet myself, I'm never gonna live this down... Why is this thing so much more scary than Slade was? Dammit, it's because it's a real Demon, isn't it?_

A faint crackle of electricity drifted through the air. "Aim between the legs Kevin." Stretching out an arm, Urd pointed a pair of fingers at the Demon, sparks dancing over her fingertips. "There's no need to play nice with this monster." Thunder began to roll, as clouds started to drift across the sky, turning it slate grey. A Goddess summoned her power, and nature itself moved at her command.

"Right." In spite of his churning stomach, Kevin forced a smile, and began sweeping his free hand over the pistol he held. _Put a few in one of it's legs to slow it down, then aim for the heart or head to kill it._ "You picked the wrong people to piss off, jerk." _It's go time._ Kevin's finger tightened on the trigger, and a sharp crack echoed across the yard.

-

Well, that took awhile didn't it? What can I say? My body complained a bit at the sudden climate change from freezing cold, to tolerable. Sadly, I think I pinched a nerve in my back _after_ all the damn work was done... So... Yeah. Ow.

...Unless I slipped a disc in my spine, _that_ would require an operation to fix. Oh joy. On the other hand, it's hurting less and less, so I think it's just a pinched nerve.

This chapter feels a bit... Disjointed to me. It bounced around a lot more than the others usually do. I think the cast is getting a bit large perhaps. I'm not sure what exactly to do about that, honestly.

Then again, with only a couple more chapters to go, I guess I should just tough it out. One way to compensate is by making the chapters longer, as you can see for yourself, that's what I did.

Hmm, well, we'll see how it goes.

Review reply time.

Teturo - I do pride myself on being unpredictable, so thanks. Hopefully, this chapter was worth the wait.

Scourgeofthegalaxy- Ah, the evil death sticks. Hopefully, you survived this long. I do try to stay true to form with the characters, God knows it makes it that much harder to keep the story the same length, since they tend to ramble on so much. Also, thanks for the kind sentiments, I appreciate it.

Pryde Kitty- I know! Can't these damn characters just shut the hell up for five minutes? No! Of course not, how funny would it be if they acted like _normal_ people? So, I put up with it. As for my foreshadowing and cliffhangers in general... I used to write ALL my chapter endings as cliffhangers. Personally, I think it drove my readers utterly nuts. Ah well, as you can see, I'm baaack.

Jusenkyo- Yeah, I think I'll probably be sticking Kanna into a lot of jokes like that, mainly because with her, they just work. Shampoo may be swapping fiancees, but it's not exactly a smooth transition. And Urd, well, Urd's from Ah! Megami-sama (AKA Oh! MY Goddess) so, 'nuff said. Glad you liked the last chapter, and I hope this one was worth the wait.

Alright, so, next time, backyard brawl. And, oh no! Whaddya mean there's only- _how many_ chapters left? Agh! Is this really the time for guessing games?


	15. Chapter 15

Roland's pistol cracked like thunder, and a second slug of tool steel raced across the yard, only to bury itself in a fence post when the Demon blurred and vanished. Letting out a hiss of annoyance, Kevin's eyes darted back and forth as he stepped closer to Urd. "Teleportation or just super speed?"

Marking a sharp drawing gesture with her arm, Urd formed the electricity flowing over her hand into a short, bright white blade of crackling energy. "I don't know, I blinked." Frowning, the Goddess moved to put her back to Kevin's, trying to locate the Demon as well. "It wasn't magic, that's for sure."

"I know that much, duh." Thumbing back the hammer halfway on the pistol, Kevin swept his hands over the weapon a few times. "What we really need is to nail him with something to slow him down... A hex maybe." _Or you could just put enough holes in one leg until it falls apart, that would slow it down too y'know._ Flicking open the loading gate, the teenaged mage dipped a hand into a pocket of his duster and plucked out a pair of bullets. It took him a moment to work the ejection rod twice to spit out the spent casings, re-rotate the cylinder, and slide the new rounds into the gun. Snapping shut the loading gate, Kevin eased down the hammer, then cocked it back once more. "Ready to rock. Where's th-"

"Shampoo kill!"

"Oh, over there."

_Master of the obvious._

_Didn't I tell you to shut up?_

_Tch, like I'm gonna listen to you?_

-

Flipping backwards twice in a single, graceful tumble, Kanna narrowly avoided having her face shredded by Goshinki's claws. _Man this thing is ugly. Make sure to keep your distance wider than his reach by an extra two feet, there's no telling just how far he can stretch that long body of his._ Mentally nodding, Kanna landed in a low crouch, and rolled backwards as the Demon's claws tore up the turf where she'd been an instant ago. Planting her hands against the lawn, the small girl flung herself backwards onto her feet, performed a pair of backwards handsprings, and landed on her toes. Dancing backwards to continue to widen the gap, she had plenty of time to watch the Demon leave himself wide open.

Goshinki smiled with that horrible, fang-filled maw of his. "Ah, Kanna... You're still around. How surprising to see you without your mirror, and thinking you have a chance to seize upon my opening."

_Uh, no, idiot. Not her. HER._

Confused, Goshinki cocked his head to the side. The Demon couldn't understand why he couldn't clearly read the little girl's thoughts, or why a masculine presence seemed to be in the way. "What are you playing at?" The Demon stretched out an arm, beginning to reach for the little girl.

Darting in close, Shampoo slammed her oversized mace down on the Demon's exposed elbow, making both the joint, and the weapon, crackle loudly. _Oh no, not this one too._ Skipping back from the Demon's reprisal, the Amazon dove in to make sure she finished the job she started. "Shampoo kill!" Far from aiming for a killing blow, Shampoo instead brought her weapon back down on the same elbow once more. _Stupid Demon. I'm not going to miss the chance to mangle your arm while I still can. I'm not stupid enough to not learn from that last one I fought._ The massive head of her bonbori shattered into bits as Goshinki's elbow joint fragmented into pieces, making the purple beast howl in pain and rage as the Amazon retreated. _Hah! Now if only I wasn't stuck fighting unarmed, this might be easy._

"Outta the way hussy!" Battle aura burning bright red, Ukyo gripped her spatula with both hands and charged into the fray. She'd only hung back long enough to get herself fired up, and to form enough of her rage into a properly stoked flame of pure emotion. _Here comes the moment of truth._ Gritting her teeth, Ukyo swung the flattened head of the weapon around with both hands, her aura swirling around it like wildfire. "Red Rage Ripper!" The blade hissed as it sliced a shallow cut into Goshinki's chest, blackening the edges of the wound, making the Demon's blood boil and cook onto it's skin.

Letting out a howl of pain despite the lack of depth to the cut, Goshinki put a hand to it's chest and glared at the tiny human that _dared_ make it hurt like that. "Little fly, I am going to _eat_ you alive for that-"

"Shut up and fight jackass!" Still not finished, Ukyo freed a hand and cupped it at her side, a warped gathering of red light formed in her palm. _I'm gonna show this monster what I can REALLY do when I'm mad._ Charging in to point blank range, she slapped her hand down on the flat of the spatula, channeling the chi into her weapon. "Red Rage Ripper revised; Sevenfold Spatula Slicer!" Whipping the spatula around in a series of rapid, triple figure eights, the Okonomiyaki chef hacked away at the body of the Demon. A snake-like trail of bright red light followed the path of her weapon, bleeding away from it's edge. The pattern she wove into the air was etched into the arms of the Demon as it tried to protect itself from the sudden, and vicious onslaught. Six times Ukyo brought the edge of her spatula around, six times it came into contact with the Demon's body, and six times it left burning, bleeding slices in it's body. Leaping up into the air, Ukyo closed her free hand around the bottom of the battle spatula's grip, twisting her body as she dragged the weapon around for the seventh and final blow.

Hacking deep into the side of the Demon's face, the spatula warped and twisted from the force Ukyo put on it, before she wrenched it out of the monster's face, and dropped to the ground. _Oh God. That took just about all I had to pull those both off._ Sinking down to a crouch as her legs struggled to keep her upright, Ukyo flung herself into a clumsy roll, stumbled a few paces, and slumped into the arms of Ranma Saotome. "Ooohh... Good timing Ran-chan..." _Ugh, I'm beat... And I called him 'Ran-chan' again. Oh well, old habits die hard if you stop kicking them to death._

Hauling his childhood friend onto his shoulder, Ranma lept away from the wild, and half-blind attacks the Demon was throwing in their direction. _Scary scary scary._ Landing lightly atop the dojo, Ranma carefully sat Ukyo down on the roof next to him. "You ok Ucchan?" _That thing's just a little scarier than Akane when she's mad._ Only moments ago Ranma had snapped out of his frozen state, yanked his fiancee out of the yard, and shoved her into the house with the suggestion that she keep Kasumi from heading out of the house for a little while. He'd only arrived just in time to pull Ukyo's behind out of the fight.

"Yeah... Jus' fine... Need a li- a little... Nap..." Sinking down flat on the roof, Ukyo's body went limp as she descended into a mental state just above that of a coma. She was so out of it, she didn't even realize that Ranma had already left before she'd finished talking. _Ugghh... What was it that I did to make me so tired?_ A tiny echo shimmered against the inside of her skull.

_Chi is living energy Ukyo. In the case of martial artists, it's also tied to their personality. When you burn it away like that, you dim your force of will. It's the price you pay for getting access to all that power._

Ukyo's mind felt fuzzy, like a familiar touch against her brow when she was almost asleep. _Hey, didn't Mato pull you out of me back then?_ She could barely move, or feel the rough texture of the roof against her cheek. _Why are you still hiding inside my head?_

_Please. Like you'd actually let me go that easily? Go to sleep, I'll take over from here._

_True._ Smiling, Ukyo tried to shift into a more comfortable position, then decided she could worry about that later, and sank into a deep, dreamless sleep. After a few seconds, she sat up slowly, stretching her arms over her head. Eyelids snapping open, a flicker of green shone softly as she turned her gaze down to the battle royale in the yard below. "Oh goodie, another Demon. I _never_ get tired of _those_." Sighing, she flicked her hand over her shirt twice, snorting in irritation as she stood up. "Time to go to work."

"URGH! You will _pay_ for that, worm!"

CRACK!

-

_Time to be ballsy kiddo, go right for the eyes. Bare handed._ Lunging in low and fast, Kanna slid across the lawn on her belly, tucking into a roll after her short dive petered out. Planting her hands, the small girl arched her back and dug her toes into the turf, narrowly avoiding a massive, clawed hand by performing a forward handspring as it tore the back of her gi to ribbons, instead of her skin. Gripping firmly onto a cord of muscle that stood out against the purplish skin, the tiny girl raced up the Demon's arm, planted her feet in the crook of it's elbow, and lept. It was a short jump to it's face, and Kanna wasted no time in sinking her bare fingers into one of it's large eyes.

_Rip and hook, twist that hand as hard and as deep as you can, then fist and rip out. Arch your back and flex. Plant the feet and kick off, let your hand go limp just before your legs go full out straight. That's when you jump off and flip to clear some space, and avoid that wild slash he's gonna try when he feels it. _Doing as instructed, the albino girl almost flinched as her bare fingers hooked and sank into spongy flesh, instantly soaked in gore and ocular tissue. Ripping her hand free, she lept away in the same motion she used for leverage to cause the horrible damage. _Nice, now evade, and tell me how much energy you just wasted making yourself able to cut through his hide like that._

"URGH! You will _pay_ for that, worm!" Lashing out wildly, Goshinki caught nothing but cloth as he clumsily swiped for the little girl's back.

CRACK!

A smoking hole made the Demon cry out in agony again, as fresh fluid burst out of it's damaged eye socket again, this time propelled by a forty-five caliber round of tool steel surrounded in a faint yellow envelope of light.

"No picking on the kid, not while I'M AROUND." Jaw set, Kevin snapped back the hammer on Roland's gun with his free hand, brandishing the pistol up over the shoulder opposite his gun hand. _Oh yeah, tell me I look heroic._ Curving the fingers of his empty hand into a rapid series of signs, the teen Sorcerer began to weave a new spell over the weapon.

_Just great kid. Just remember to skip the twirling until after I say it's dead._

_Aww, come on. It makes me look so cool._ Semi-solid tendrils of green and grey glassy light began to weave around the barrel and cylinder of the pistol, partially sinking into it's surface. Probing his reserves for a moment, Kevin dumped a little more mana into the spell, making the smokey-green light shine brighter.

_Yeah, but too cocky makes you look like an ass, and besides, it leaves you wide open to a Demon that can move faster than you can blink. Save it for when I know it's dead, and everyone has the time to look right at you._

_Ooohhh, good point. Ok, fair enough, you win._ Leveling the pistol at the Demon, Kevin started to chant under his breath, moving on to the second, and more important stage of the spell. _I suck at Druidic magic. I wish mom were here to help out._ Despite his lack of ability with the natural school of spells, Kevin found that he could somewhat make up for it if he burned away enough mana when he attempted to use the few weaker nature spells that he knew. _She's way better at this than I am._ Frowning, he continued to chant, and waited for the perfect opening to use the spell.

"Stand STILL!" Growling, Urd hacked away, almost flailing haphazardly at the Demon. The scent of ozone accompanied the rapid _sizz-sizz-sizz_ of the lightning blade cutting through the air. It wasn't that Urd was unskilled with the weapon, no. Truth be told, the Goddess found that the more she used it, and the harder she tried, the better she got with such things. Which didn't come as a surprise to her, as she was perfection incarnate in nearly everything she tried, it just came naturally to her, being who and what she was. And 'it' was of course, everything she did. Because she was Urd, Goddess second class, first class ego.

But the Demon could move faster than she could see at times, and right now, it was doing that a lot. And it was _pissing her off._

_None at all. I didn't think I'd need to do something like that._ Landing neatly on her feet after performing a lazy backwards flip, Kanna skipped backwards a few paces and shook the gore from her hand. Dropping into a low defensive stance, the small girl watched with some interest as the well-endowed Goddess seemed to easily drive the Demon back without much trouble, despite how angry she looked while doing it. _She's really very good... Did you teach her how to do that?_

_You're kidding. You- huh. Uh, what? No, she knew how to shape the blade already, I just taught her how to think a bit more in a fight, on a lower level. Huh... So you can pierce Demon hide without even trying eh? Interesting, must be... Mumble, mutter._

_What?_ Shaking herself when she realized that her gaze was sinking lower, Kanna focused on trying to find openings in both the Goddess' and the Demons defenses. _Why did you say those words?_

_Because I can't actually MUTTER when I'm talking to you inside your head like this. Be glad I didn't just say 'trails off into quiet musing' or something inane like that._

_Oh... Ok._ Flexing her fingers, Kanna began twisting the balls of her feet into the lawn, feeling the grass tear beneath her toes. She also tried very hard to ignore the feeling of fluid drying on her bare hand, and the smell that seemed to surround her.

_Yeah, that part's the hardest one to get used to in this business. Always the smell. And stop starin' at her rack already, sheesh. You'll grow your own when you're older, stop obsessing._

_Why hasn't Mato joined the fight yet?_

_Oh, he's probably dead._

For some reason, Kanna felt her eyes being yanked up towards the roof of the dojo, even as she felt something odd in her chest. A quick check with her clean, and only slightly grass-stained hand told her that no, nothing had impaled her. _My chest hurts inside._ She realized that she was staring at Ukyo, who was just standing up there, watching. _He can't be dead... Tell me what's wrong with him._

_Well, probably not DEAD dead, but close enough. An entire month straight of fighting, without food, or water, or rest. No soul to keep him from... Uh, how to put this? The soul is what caries most of your personality, without it, you're just a pale reflection, a shadow of your former self. Mato's also a special case too, since he unconsciously absorbs chi from around him to fill his reserves. Since there's no life really in Hell, he's running on fumes at best. Probably shell shocked too, from running at peak to suddenly being utterly dry. I'm guessing, but it would explain why he looks so utterly trashed. Also, he'd never risk tapping into the, well, __**other**__, unless someone else's life was on the line. Bottom line? He's either bled out, or barely clinging to life._

_... I didn't understand, nearly ALL of what you just said._ Frowning, Kanna dug her toes into the ground, sparing a glance away from Ukyo, back towards the Goddess and the Demon. _But I know enough... I NEED to get to him._

_Hey, wait. Don't just-_

_No time!_ Throwing herself into a sprint, Kanna made a bee-line for the direction she remembered the Demon throwing the mangled body, just before the fight started. Her path, as it happened to be going, was right through the two otherworldly beings that were fighting. Launching herself into the melee, Kanna suddenly realized that she wouldn't be able to avoid either of the pair's attacks.

Claw and crackling blade of energy descended upon her.

In an instant, Kanna's body twisted around, flinging itself in the same direction, though backwards. Planting her hands, she went through a series of wild, twisting, chaotic tumbles and handsprings. Her gi was tattered to ribbons and scorched in a half dozen places as she burst out from between the pair, arrowing low across the ground as she continued her blurring rush across the yard.

Off to the side, Shampoo couldn't help but be impressed by the display of acrobatics as she tried to pry a massive hunk of stone free from the side of the koi pond. _Oh, wow. I've never seen anyone move like that._ Eyes widening in surprise, the Amazon realized she was wrong. She _had_ seen someone move like that, but only once before. _That's... Impossible._

_I didn't know my body could move like that._ Scrambling on all fours as her limbs became her own again, Kanna franticly scrabbled at the ground for a few seconds before getting her feet properly under herself again, continuing her mad dash. _What else could you make me do, if you were in control all the time?_

_Oh, y'know. Lots of stuff._

_Like what? _Kanna tucked her body as she lept through the hole in the dojo wall, landed, and continued to run across the wide, single room. _Could you beat Ranma with my body, if you tried?_ Leaping through the second hole in the other side of the building, Kanna skidded to a stop. _How far can you push my limits like that?_

_Maybe. Aaannnddd... It's a secret._

-

"Moko Takabisha!" Flinging another orb of blue-white light at whatever it was that he was fighting, Ranma Saotome felt like sneezing. "You say somethin' granny?" Glancing at the old crone for a moment, the teenaged martial artist bounded back away from the circular rip in the air that was still venting blood colored dust.

"Not in particular, no." Jabbing at something that tried to claw it's way out of Hell, Cologne frowned as the end of her staff came back splintered. "I think I will be needing to shod this stick in iron in the near future, if this continues to happen all the time."

"You think the others are doing ok?" Feeling a little out of breath, Ranma planted his feet, and readied himself for another chi blast. He hadn't particularly wanted to learn what he'd been fighting this whole time, so he'd resigned himself to wasting a lot of energy just knocking it back with ranged attacks. From the lack of complaints from Cologne, he figured that she agreed with his plan.

"I do wish I had closed the restaurant for the the day. It would be useful to have another pair of ranged attackers here with us." The Elder mentally kicked herself for sending Ryoga and Mousse away like she had. At the time, sending away the two most likely to ruin the most carefully laid of plans, when they were enacting a plan that was not laid with anything even remotely resembling care, seemed like such a good idea when she thought of it. _Ah well, live and learn._

"Hey, we get lunch for free when this is over, right?" Ranma shot the old crone a knowing smirk.

"Not on your life. You're not my son-in-law anymore."

"Aw."

-

"Tangling snare!" There was a sharp crack, undertoned by a low humming sound that stopped the instant the shot sent up a small shower of earth. With a rumbling crunch, a half dozen thick, tree-like tendrils rose up out of the ground, and wrapped themselves about the Demon's body. "Hah! Got 'im! Do it now, uh... You. Um, Chinese girl?"

"Shampoo is Amazon!" Heaving the small boulder with all the strength her slender body could muster, Shampoo smashed the hunk of stone down over the Demon's shoulder, making bone crackle, and purplish flesh tear and bleed. "Is least boy can do, remember name!" _A mangled shoulder is my payback to your kind Demon._ Smirking as she leaped back out of the range of any reprisals, the Amazon girl tried not to heave a sigh as her face fell. _Why do I have to marry him? He can't even remember my name._ Shampoo tried to keep her eyes fixed on the Demon as it thrashed about, and not glance back at the gunslinging Sorcerer. _Still, we work well together, don't we?_

"RAGGHHHKK! You worms will pay when I am fr-"

"**Shi Shi Hoku Dan corrupted; Glacial Flesh Render!**" A series of ragged hunks of ice, cocooned in a parcel of yellow light shot with black streaks slammed into the Demon's side. The first few rapid impacts tore deep into it's shoulder, sending bits of flesh, and spatters of blood flying into the air. The next thirteen shards tore it's arm clean off and ground it into a thick paste, spreading the remains along the yard in a long trail of purplish-black gore.

All eyes, Save for that of Cologne, and Ranma's after the Elder smacked him on the thigh with her staff, turned in the direction the blast had come from.

Propped up on one side by a dirty little albino girl in the grass and dirt stained, thread-bare, tattered remains of a gi, and supported on the other by a sweaty Okonomiyaki chef, stood a familiar figure that looked like it had gone through a meat grinder.

Twice.

Wide eyes shining with a chaotic emerald gleam, Mato Hibiki set his feet under himself, and locked his legs, standing under his own power. "**It's safe to say...**"

Ukyo wrapped her fingers around her twisted battle spatula, flexing her arms a little. "**That we're very...**" A radiant green light pooled in the chef's eyes, dancing in time with the flickers of red light that began to flow over her body.

"**Very pissed off with you right now.**" Trickles of soft green light trailed over Kanna's cheeks, spilling down her pale face to dissolve into the air as they flowed off of her chin.

"...Woah." Staring with wide eyes, Kevin couldn't help but feel a little twinge of envy. _Dammit, why can't MY eyes look that cool?_ Easing back the hammer on Roland's gun with the flat of his empty hand, the young gunslinger couldn't bring himself to look away. _And the voice, that voice sounds so... Dammit, why am I the only odd man out?_

_Mainly because you're not a martial artist like they all are, and Mato's using them both as channels to draw in as much chi as he can, as fast as they can both manage? Geez, I think the girl's actually topping off right there._

Kevin blinked. _Hey, wait... Green eyes... They BOTH have a piece of his soul then?_ Thinking about that for a moment, the teenaged dimensional traveller tried to figure out what that ment in the grand scheme of things. _Just how far can he stretch himself out like that? It's like he's cheating or something. Totally breaking the rules just to make a few more of himself to fight with._

_Protecting them is more like it. You three are too much alike, always jumping into things without even realizing just how in over your collective heads you are. You think just one person could watch all of you at once?_

_Uh, good point... Wait, you've been taking care of me, this entire time?_

_Tch._

_Oh wow. And to think, I was feeling guilty about not giving back that sliver of soul. Oh, wait._ "Everybody get back, QUICK!" _I know what's coming next._ Reaching into his duster, Kevin pulled out a flat square that looked like package of miniature hotdogs. "Over here, next to me, before it goes off!" Mashing the clay-like substance in his fist, Kevin holstered the pistol and used both hands to shape the thing into a rough spike. _This is the part where he blows the HELL out of that thing._

_Yup._

Rushing over to join Cologne and Ranma beside Kevin, the young Amazon looked over at the pair for a moment, feeling a brief stab of relief that they were both unscathed. _What is happening now? I can't believe that... THAT boy is alive._ A shiver of anger flowed through her body. _Is he going to kill himself again, just to spite me?_

Jamming the spike into the ground, Kevin poked his thumb into the flat end, sending a large jolt of raw, unfocused mana into it. In an instant, a smoky grey done burst out from the little spike, surrounding the four of them in it's translucent, glassine barrier. "This is going to be very, very scary." _Oh man, it's gonna be so COOL. I never got to see this class of attack up close and personal. Urd said it was like... Wait, where is- oh._ Kevin spared a moment to glance up, barely able to make out the tiny speck of the Goddess up in the sky through the smokey dome he'd created. _Smart move. Back to the show._ Grinning with unabashed glee, Kevin squeezed his eyes shut tightly, then forced them open wide, silently vowing not to blink no matter what happened.

"You worm, you will di-"

"**Seppuku Shi Shi Hoku Dan corrupted; Piercing Lines of Pain.**" Pointing both hands at Goshinki, nearly a dozen thin black wires of chi shot out from Mato's fingertips. The strands of darkness wended their way through the air, and sank into the Demon's purple flesh. Blood boiled to the surface of the Demon's body, bursting out of the hundreds of tiny blisters that formed on it's skin as the wires stretched on, filling the space in the Demon's veins, forcing the vital fluid out of every hole in it's body.

Yellowish paste oozed out of Goshinki's ruined eye, nostrils, and ears as the wires continued to extend and fill up more and more space inside of it's body. The thin strands continued to wind their way around inside, filling it's internal organs, and even the hollows in it's bones. In a matter of seconds, Goshinki was simply a Demon shaped bag, filled with razor sharp, hair fine wires that wove an incredibly painful pattern through every inch of it's being, somehow keeping it alive despite everything that was happening to it. In the space of an instant, Goshinki's entire reality turned to one thing; _agony._

"**Now you can die, now that I've paid you back for everything you've done to them a hundred times over.**" Bringing his hands together in a quiet clap, the wires reverted to energy, reacting in the normal way that a chi attack did with a body. They exploded, _violently_.

When the dust, and misted remains of the Demon settled to the earth, Mato stood there, gently clutching the two limp girls to his chest. Staring at the spot on the yard where Goshinki had stood for a few seconds, he shook his head, and carefully laid the two down on the ground together. Walking over to the smear on the yard that marked the spot where the Demon had ceased to exist, he frowned at it, and clutched at his ruined collar with one hand.

The four that stood within the protective confines of the smokey dome watched, scarcely breathing, waiting in rapt anticipation for what came next.

In a sharp gesture, Mato tore his ragged outfit away. Somehow, in the space of less than an eyeblink, he'd dressed himself in an identical, brand new set of clothes. "Whatta jerk." Raking back his bangs from his face with one hand, he turned his head a little to flash the group a smirk. "Hey, you wanna take care of these two for me? I gotta get going back to Hell pretty quick. After all, SOMEBODY has to close that portal before every damn Demon and damned soul decides to relocate up here and give God an excuse to whine and bitch to me about how it's all _my_ fault... _Again._" Snorting, he tossed down the ragged remains of his previous outfit, stuffing one hand into his pocket. "Not like he needs an excuse most of the time."

-

Well, that's that. Geez, how long overdue is this chapter anyway?

What can I say, sorry? Between a bit of a cold, and my back still being thrown out somewhat, I really didn't feel too into writing lately. But, seeing two pages sitting on my desktop, a glance at the calendar, and three cups of coffee later, and here it is.

With a little extra tossed in for making you all wait so long.

One detail I'm adding, just incase nobody realized it. Because Kanna's a void, she's that much better at absorbing chi from the air than Ukyo is. But since Ukyo's more used to actually using chi, she's got deeper reserves that Kanna does. That's why Kanna's eyes were brimming with green like that, she was overflowing with energy.

What does this mean for the two of them? Who knows?

Ha.

Um, since this chapter may be leaving you all unsatisfied... Who knows? Not me. But then again, I've had three cups of coffee, and it's kind of gone to my head so I'm rambling... Time for a little contest.

That's right, a contest. With rules and all that jazz, and heck, even a prize.

What's the prize? Well, that's up to you. The winner will get to choose between asking myself _any_ two questions, what ever they may want to know. Aside from the obvious, naturally. I'm not giving out credit card numbers, or home addresses or what not. It's best if those questions relate to the story in some way.

Not good enough? Fine. The other option for the prize is a cameo in the story itself, in the very next chapter.

Yeah, what can I say? Three cups of coffee was just the right amount to push me over the edge to start exactly this sort of madness. Oh well, I've doomed us all now.

The contest itself is simple. I want you to come up with a new attack for Kanna. Not just any old attack, but something that she would use in a spar against Ranma.

Now for the kicker.

It has to be an attack that _fails_ to work. Not only that, but someone has to explain to Kanna _why_ the attack didn't work. Who it is could be anyone from Ranma himself, to Kasumi, right down to the voice in her head. (Whoever that may be, haha.)

Those of you interested in entering the contest (and I'm banking on a low number, since nobody ever enters these things) send your entry to my e-mail, entitled "Kanna doesn't attack". My e-mail address is on my profile here, so it's easy enough to get to. Don't try to add your entry through the review section, or you'll be disqualified, even if you e-mail me with it after. Limit of one entry per person. Also, sign your entry with your FF dot net ID, so we don't have any issues with who got what entry.

It can get ugly, and it's happened before. Duplicate winners make things awk~ward.

The contest winner (if it ever gets that far) will be announced in the next chapter, though it'll be obvious if they choose the cameo prize. They'll also be getting an e-mail reply, letting them know they've won, and details on their prize.

Just so we're clear; DON'T send your entry with any details on what prize you want. DO NOT. It'd be so hard to read them then, then pick a winner, when I'm aware that I'm crushing your hopes to win. Even moreso if you've got good questions of scenario for your cameo.

Everybody got that? Good.

If this works out well, I might just do another contest for the chapter after next too.

Once again, really sorry that I left you all hanging for so long.

Review reply time.

Scougeofthegalaxy- Yup, I'm still alive. Surprised? Aaaannnd, I have no idea who Pete Tong is.

Pryde Kitty- I'm NOT DEAD! Why do people keep thinking that? And I do cliffhangers, it's what I do. It's _what_ I do. _It's_ what I do. It's what I _do._ As for Mato having trouble, I believe I answered that one in the story. Fatigue, a _hell_ of a lot of fatigue, can really mess up your performance. Glad you like how Kanna is shaping up, she's a fun character to use, if a bit odd to write for sometimes.

And I DO think of the fanfic readers, I gave you a damn contest! Isn't that ENOUGH?

Teturo- Hoo-boy. If you were worried about one person acting like Mato before... Well, I'd warn you to avoid this chapter, but it's _really_ too late by this point, if you're reading this. Heh heh, whoops?

Once again, thank you to all my readers, and an extra BIG thank you to all my reviewers.

Next chapter; The return to Hell. What does this mean for everyone now? And what's the story with all the green eyes popping up all of a sudden. What the heck is this **other** thing? Questions, always questions.

Until next time.


	16. Chapter 16

"Wha~at?" Shocked, Kevin could only boggle. "But you just came back from the _dead_!"

"Uh, no." Frowning, Mato's eyelids drooped halfway shut. It was his 'Did you get hit in the face when I wasn't watching?' look. "I just made a deal with the Devil, so to speak. I'm clearly not dead, not yet anyway." He raised a hand, wagging a finger at the teen when he opened his mouth again. "Also, no soul, so don't even start on that one."

"Oh, yeah. Right, I forgot."

_You're such an idiot sometimes._

_Shut up voice in my head._ Looking uncomfortable for a moment, Kevin scuffed the toe of one of his sneakers on the lawn. "So, I came all this way for nothing then?"

"What, you're saying you _didn't_ open a portal to Hell, and save my ass at the last minute?" Arching an eyebrow, Mato glanced around the yard. _Damn, did we ever trash it._

"Well, yeah, I did." Smiling a little, Kevin ruffled his hands through his hair, shaking it out. "Guess the trip was worth it after all." Glancing up at the sky, he waved. "I think Urd's gonna keep scouting around until the portal closes. She told me to say 'hi' if she didn't get the chance."

A sudden smirk curved up one corner of Mato's mouth. "That all?"

"Uh, no..." A flush crept up the neck of the teenaged Sorcerer as he looked away. "There was also something about taking a bath together... I kind of, freaked out, and didn't hear the rest."

"Hah, typical Urd." Glancing up at the sky, Mato flicked a wave with his free hand. "Ok, so... Guess I'd better say my goodbyes and go back to Hell, before anything worse comes crawling out."

(I hate you. So much.)

"Hey Shampoo. Japanese still suck?" Not even bothering to turn to face the Amazon, Mato half-shrugged a shoulder in greeting.

(You shamed me badly. I want. My. Revenge.)

Arching a brow, Mato glanced at her, shrugging a shoulder again. (Go nuts then. If you lose, you owe me your life for a second time.)

(I'll kill you before that happens!) Darting forward, becoming a mere blur of purple, Shampoo lept into the air, cocking back an arm. _I've been training ever since my arm healed. Somehow, I knew this day would come. The day when I would avenge my dishonor. The day I beat you!_ (I will win!)

"Heh." Mato's free hand snapped up in an instant.

(Not fast enough!) There was a sharp crack as Shampoo's deceptively small fist collided with Mato's face, striking him just over one eyebrow. She'd put her entire body into the blow, twisting her shoulders, spine and hips, all to add the maximum amount of force her slender, top-heavy body could muster. _Faster than he moved that day, but still not faster than I am._ And considering Shampoo could crush stone with her bare hands, it was an incredible force she brought to bear indeed. (I win.) There was a soft thump as her feet hit the ground. She stood there, arm nearly fully extended, savoring the moment.

"You wish." Flashing a small smile, Mato tilted his head to the side, rotating Shampoo's fist along with it, still pressed against his brow.

(... H... How?) Stunned didn't begin to describe how Shampoo felt at that moment.

(Easy. Infact, it's so easy...) Tugging his arm a little, Mato hauled Kevin over, squeezing the boy in between them. (That I'll let him explain.)

(Ah?) Shampoo caught on in an instant. _When he lifted his arm, it wasn't to block me._ Her cheeks flushed with shame, realizing her mistake. _He was keeping that boy from getting between us. I would have crushed him like a bug before I even knew he was there._ (... Explain then.)

(Uhhh, right...) Gulping quietly, Kevin shuffled his feet, feeling a bit uncomfortable to be chest-to-chest with Shampoo like he was. _Maybe if her chest wasn't so big, I wouldn't be having trouble breathing right now..._

_Suuure. Blame it on her rack. That's whats got you breathless, of course._

_Shut UP voice in my head._ Swallowing, he tried again. (Back in my world, Mato fought uh...) _Oh geez, I can't tell them he fought an Angel. It gets even worse if I add in the fact that he's sealed inside of him too._ (Someone at least as strong as you, and did the same move...)

(So?) Frowning, Shampoo leaned into the boy a little. Only to intimidate him of course. (What does that have to do with anything?) At least, that's what she told herself the reason was.

(Well, he was using _my body_ at the time...) Trailing off, Kevin looked away, clearly embarrassed.

(... What?) Staring blankly for a moment, Shampoo reached out and started feeling up Kevin's arms and shoulders. (This body?) Frowning, the Amazon found her hands lingering on his arms a little longer than she liked.

Trying twice to shrug off Shampoo's hands, with little success, Kevin gave up trying. (Yeah. He's kind of an expert at getting the most out of whatever body he's using at the time. You really didn't stand a chance against his real body. Nobody does.) _It's more complicated than that. It wasn't my body that took the punch, but he used it to beat the hell out of his own body, while it was turbo-charged by that Angel. Ugh, this is so confusing sometimes._

_Imagine how bad it is for the people who DIDN'T live through it then._

_Shut up voice in my head._

(Hmph!) Leaning in closer, Shampoo stood on her tip-toes to glare at Mato over Kevin's shoulder. (I'll kill you for mocking me like this.)

Reaching out, Mato casually slapped Shampoo across the face. (Wake up.)

Gritting her teeth, the Amazon clenched her hands into fists. (Too much of a coward to punch me?)

(I'd break you like a twig. Get over yourself, before you wind up making me hurt you.) Grabbing the girl's collar, he lifted her off of the ground. (**I could squash you like a bug without ev**- eh?) Surprised, Mato glanced down. _Something poked me?_

Frowning, Kevin had a hand wrapped around Mato's wrist, staring up at the taller man's face. "Put her down Mato. You're going all evil again." _Oh God, I think I'm gonna throw up and die. It's like spitting in the Devil's face. I am so screwed._

"... Yeah, sorry." Setting Shampoo down gently, he released her collar. (Got carried away. Hopefully, you'll survive.) Setting his hand atop Kevin's head, he ruffled the teen's hair a little. "Thanks kiddo."

"Ah, you're... Welcome?" Smiling in a confused sort of way, Kevin bowed his head a little. _Saw my life flash before my eyes, scary. But he thanked me, that feels great, hearing it come from him._

_So, why's your head hanging so low?_

_His hand isn't heavy, he just carries a lot of weight on his shoulders._ Grinning, Kevin brushed off his shirt. "So, go to Hell already."

Smirking, Mato let his hand drop off of the teen's head. "What, bored of me already? Alright, I'm goin' I'm goin'." Turning, he winked at Ranma, who sputtered a little. "Training going ok Saotome?" Without breaking stride, he continued walking past the small group. "Cologne." He nodded once.

Nodding back, Cologne wasn't sure how to address a dead man walking. "You're looking spry today." _I must be getting old, if that's the best I can do for a witty comment._

"Back at you. Hold down the fort while I'm gone kiddies, I've gotta feeling that your lives aren't gonna stop being interesting anytime soon." Waving over his shoulder, he strode across the lawn. "Oh yeah, look after Kevin for me too, wouldja? I'm betting he's gonna stick around a little longer. Maybe do a little Conversational Japanese tutoring?" Smirking, Mato stopped before the portal that hung in the air a few inches over the lawn, swirling and spewing hot, acrid air and rust colored dust. _Fun and games with Dante, is it? Dunno who he is, but I'll be seeing the inferno again for sure. God I love my job._

There was a bright flash of white light, that bleached everything away.

"You know, I suddenly realized that my life is something of a cosmic joke."

OH? DO TELL.

"Well, take a look at everything I've done so far."

A RATHER IMPRESSIVE LIST, EVEN WHEN NOT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE THINGS YOU HAVE YET TO DO.

"Hey now, don't bend space/time just to flatter me."

AW.

"But anyway, I always wind up doing the same kind of crap jobs I always do."

SUCH AS?

"Errands for godlings, God himself, hell, even the Devil herself on occasion."

YOU DO TEND TO-

"And even when I'm minding my own business, I wind up in situations like this..."

OH? LIKE WHAT?

"Having a Cosmic force freeze time itself to have a little chat with me." Chuckle. "Don't think you could fool me into passing it off as my imagination. I never fall for the same trick twice, even clever variations of them."

WELL, MAYBE I JUST WANTED TO TALK WITH YOU, BECAUSE YOU'RE SO... BLESSED WITH LUCK. LADY LUCK MUST REALLY FAVOR YOU, TO HELP YOU OUT SO MUCH.

Snort. "My ass. I make my _own_ luck."

...

"And that's why you're bothering me now, aren't you?"

...NO.

"Oh yes it is. You just can't stand the fact that I've never needed your help."

...

"Not. Once."

I WILL HAVE YOU.

"... Ok, crap. I didn't see that one coming."

NO?

"Hell no. It's not every day that Cosmic Forces declare that they want to bed me. I think this makes three now."

...

"Ok, maybe I shouldn't have said that. Yeah, really shouldn't have said that. Look, can I go now? I've gotta go to Hell, and suffer torment again. It's my thing, it's what I do."

THIS ISN'T OVER.

-

"Crap, I just pissed you off, didn't I?"

"Um, pissed who off?" Kevin tilted his head a little, peering around Mato's side to stare up at his face. He'd actually snuck away from Shampoo, who was seething with rage, to get a peek at what the Hell portal looked like up close.

"Uh, nobody. Just talking to myself." _Oh yeah, myself, and... Ugh, like I needed yet another problem to deal with. Well, if I'm lucky, Kevin will just take it at face value, and not-_

"You were talking to someone inside your head, weren't you?" Chewing on his upper lip, the young Sorcerer was trying to decide if he should mention how used to such a thing he'd gotten. _Then again, would he think it weird if I told him I talk to him in my head all the time?_

_Tch. I listen to you all the time and I STILL think you're crazy._

_Shut UP voice in my head. This really isn't the time to be tweaking me like this. It's serious business here._

_Uh, actually, this is really me. I can hear what you're thinking from here._

_Ah! Crap! No way. I didn't know you were an ESPer too._

_...Naaah, it's just me still. I couldn't resist messing with your head._

_... I hate you so much, voice in my head. I really do._

_That's what makes this so sweet._

Mentally sighing, Kevin shook his head. _If I ever go mad, not a soul on earth would blame me._ "So, who was it?"

"Uh, I'm fairly sure it was Lady Luck." Frowning, Mato stared into the swirling depths of the portal to Hell, unsure if he should just hop through and be done with it, or put it off for a little longer while he figured out just what the hell his little vision ment.

"No way."

"Yup."

"...So, I've ment to ask you this for awhile now... Is this sort of thing, um, normal for you?"

"Kevin." Glancing down at the teenager, Mato scratched his cheek with a finger. "I'm pretty sure that the word 'normal' stopped applying to me when I died the first time."

"...When was that?"

"When I was sixteen."

"Oh... I accidentally saw my sister naked in the shower when I was sixteen."

"How'd that turn out for you?"

"Fine, after the urge to puke passed."

"... You're not gay are you?"

Kevin stared blankly for a few seconds. Then, his eyelids lowered halfway, giving Mato his own are-you-brain-damaged expression. "You don't have any living human relatives, do you?"

"Nope, all dead."

"Siblings?"

"Only child."

"That explains so much."

"Meh, anyway, I've gotta go to Hell now I guess." Sighing, Mato rubbed the back of his neck. "Hrm. I've got a funny feeling..."

"Hibiki!"

"Eh?" Turning, Mato glanced over his shoulder. "Whaddya want Urd?"

The Goddess fluffed her hair as she drew nearer to the pair. "I need to talk with you for a moment."

"Eh, sure, whatever." Putting a hand on Kevin's chest, he lightly pushed the boy away. "Run an' play for a bit kiddo. The Bad people need to have a few words together."

Blinking, Kevin stumbled back a few paces, opening his mouth to ask the obvious question. "Wh- ooooh. Right, ok." Staring for a moment at the Goddess, Kevin turned and began walking back over to Shampoo, breaking into a jog after a few steps. _This can't be good._

"So, whaddya want lady?"

Urd frowned, resting her hands on her hips. "Is that any way to speak to your friend?"

"Well, I'd probably talk like this just to cheese my friends off anyway, but you're not one of them, now are you?" Smirking, Mato stuffed his hands into his pockets, turning back to stare at the swirling portal once more. _Honestly, must everyone assume they can pull one over me? Do I look that dumb?_

"How did you know?" Urd lifted her hands, raising her arms towards the sky. In truth, she was the Local Goddess of the Past, and not the one still circling far overhead. _No matter what he is, if I use all the power I have left in a single blast, there won't be anything left of him to trouble God._

"Nobody I know ever calls me 'Hibiki'. Mainly because I _hate_ that name." Chuckling under his breath, Mato shot a glance back over his shoulder again. "So, gonna try and murder me now? All because your dear Lord Above doesn't like it when people call Him on it when He's ruining lives, and making mortals suffer for His own amusement?"

"How dare you! You know _nothing_ of His Divine plans, or how carefully He watches over His flock. You-"

"I, have had just about enough of this 'more Holy than thou' crap, thanks. I've been around long enough to see that just because you're God, or for that matter anyone in a position of power, doesn't mean you're allowed to step on the little people just to get your own way." He snorted derisively. "He doesn't want Paradise. He wants what most of the other Gods I've met have wanted: He wants everyone to worship him, and follow Him like blind little sheep."

"You dare-"

"Yes I do dare. I do it all the time, and I'm not likely to stop anytime soon." Frowning, Mato gave the Goddess a level stare. "If I have to claw my way back into Heaven, just to drag down some punk far enough to where He can _see_ how much He's hurting people, then so be it. I'm not some 'Avatar of Justice' or any other bullcrap titles _you _people love to toss onto your names, just to make yourselves look better. I'm just a guy who sick of being pushed around and used. And it _really_ chaps my ass when I see other people being treated the same way. I can take it, they can't."

"And you think you have the right to impose your own sense of justice upon other worlds?" Righteous fury soaked Urd's tone, punctuated by the electricity that crackled around her body. In the sky above, thunder boomed, and coal-black clouds roiled and seethed along with the Goddess who had summoned them.

"Hey, remember who called _me_ to this world in the first place. Besides, there's only one of me. There's only ever going to be one of me. You don't think it's a fair fight?"

"Numbers don't matter! People matter, you monster!"

"Then why the Hell are you backing a guy who made Ukyo so miserable?" Mato's expression was completely blank as he stared at the Goddess. _Sometimes I really wish it wasn't this easy to deal with people. Fists and feet are more my forte._

"I..." Urd felt her throat lock up, the words straining to pass the knot that seemed to have tied up her vocal cords. "I don't... I mean, that's not..." She shook her head, trying to explain. "He has a plan!"

"So it's ok for a few people to suffer, as long as He has some sort of plan?"

"Stop twisting it!"

"I'm not. I'm _untwisting_ it."

Thunder crashed, startling the Goddess. "No..." Looking up, she quickly realised that it was not her that had summoned such a massive storm above them. Flashes of lightning arced from cloud to cloud, the bright light blotting the sun out with its intensity.

"Look out!"

Turning, Mato _felt_ something beginning to go wrong. On instinct, he grabbed the Goddess's arm, and began to move towards the only safe place to go. _Since this crap is targeting me, if I leave here, it should fizzle out without hurting anyone at all. All I ha-_ _oh God, no._ "Ukyo! GET BA-" His hand reached out to grab the girl as she rushed towards him.

A bright light flashed, brighter than anything Nerima had ever seen. A massive bolt of lightning, fueled by Someone Above, arrowed down, slamming into the ground where a Man and a Goddess and a girl had been standing, just as they vanished, as well as the swirling portal that led to Hell.

It was quiet.

Motes of dust swirled through the air, along with bits of charred yellow cloth.

"Oh man... That stung." Painfully hauling himself to his knees, Kevin stared at his torn, bleeding hands. _I can't believe I used so much mana that my hands burst._ Convinced that he could see bone amongst the shreds of bloody meat that had been his fingers, he was a little surprised that he couldn't feel anything. _I guess my nerves shredded too. Ow._ Sighing, he looked around. In the ground around him and the local Nerimans, there was a circle sliced deep in the soil, carved into the earth where Kevin's protective barrier had been. Formed from raw mana, it had cut through everything in it's path, rather then conform to the lay of the land. "Ow, serious ow."

"You is saying again." Groaning, Shampoo hauled herself upright. Other than being tossed about by the force of the shockwave, the young Amazon was none the worse for wear. Unsteadily walking over, she helped Cologne up on her way over to Kevin. "You is both ok?"

"I'm fine child. It will take more than that to stop me." Picking up her staff, Cologne hobbed over to the young Sorcerer's side. _Though, perhaps not much more._ "Are you alright, son-in-law?" Behind the old Amazon Elder, the other Nerimans began to stir, none the worse for wear it seemed.

"Um, yes?"

Sighing, Cologne stared at the boy's hands. "You are a terrible liar boy." Shaking her head, she wondered if there was anything that could be done, between the two of them, to fix what was left of his hands. "You wasted those hands of yours, for us."

"... It was worth it to me."

Staring silently, Shampoo stepped closer, folding her arms around Kevin's shoulders. (Thank you.) Pressing her lips to his cheek, she let her eyes fall closed. _It's not so bad, I suppose, having to marry someone like him._

"Oh man, this is bad." A little flushed by Shampoo's actions, Kevin had looked away to distract himself. "The house is _gone_."

It was true. All that was left of the Tendo home was a pile of shattered and charred wood.

-

Ok, wow, it's been a _really_ long time since I've updated. About a year.

Wow.

I'm really sorry to everyone who wanted to see this chapter a lot sooner. To be honest, it's been sitting on my desktop since about a week after I wrote the last one.

Don't kill me, I can explain.

When I was writing it, I was having a little trouble figuring out where to stop, so I just kept on writing. Somewhere around page seventeen, I got fed up, and just put it on hold.

Sigh.

Between then and now, I've finished off another book. I think I've mentioned it before? Eh, anyway, it's on fictionpress, I'm sure I've linked that profile to my one on here, if anyone's interested. No? Ok then...

Anyway, it's been a very long time since I've worked on this... Thankfully, I have a chapter and a half prewritten, and that gives me something to refresh my memory with, before I wrap this sucker up. I'm not sure if I'll write this book extra long, chapters wise, to end the series with it... Or if I'll write up a third book to finish the whole story off right.

Mmm, I need to think about this, I suppose... We'll see how the next couple of chapters come out.

Uh... What else?

Oh, right.

Review replies!

Baitdcat - Yay, Inuyasha stuff! I try to avoid gore when I can, but sometimes it's called for in a scene.

inufox - Well, I'm glad you liked the story, but... Is this gonna be a running gag for me now? My readers threatening me if I don't supply them with a constant influx of awesome writing?

... AW CRAP! I haven't written anything for a YEAR! They're gonna KILL ME!

While I go out back and refurbish my bunker, I'll mention that the contest I put up is up in the air, as it were. No, it's not still open, but I did lose some e-mail... So I'm gonna apologize in advance right now. I MIGHT have the winning entry partially written into the next nine or so pages I'd done last year...

If I did, I'd love it if the winner could contact me, and let me know they actually won. Eh heh.

Uh, that's about it, I think. Belated thanks to all the old readers, who stuck with me for this long, and a thanks in advance to all the new readers, who're picking this up for the first time.

Until next time.


	17. Chapter 17

"Ouch, dammit." Sitting up, Mato put a hand to the side of his head. His bandanna had been charred away, along with a wide swath of his hair, including most of his braid. The bolt of Divine lightning had narrowly missed his face, leaving a bloody slash across his flesh. The entire right sleeve and shoulder of his tunic had been shredded by the concussion, as well as his arm... The arm he'd used to grab at Ukyo. "That was _too_ Goddamn close." Frowning, he reached over and hauled Urd upright. "Welcome to Hell."

"Oh no. No no no no noooo." Pulling herself to her knees, Urd looked around at the desolate surroundings. "I can't be here, not in Hell." Though battered, Urd was in fairly good shape. As she was a Divine being, she was much more tolerant of such sources of power.

"Well tough. Life is full of crap-wading moments. This is one of them." Sighing, Mato stood up and brushed rusty dust from his pants. _Here again, naturally. Only THIS time, I'm going full-out the whole way. I'm good and heated now._ "So pretty yourself up lady. We're going straight to the bottom level."

"What?" Urd just about had a panic attack when she heard him say that. "Are you insane? Why would you do such a thing?" _Oooh, I don't want to see my moth- Hild. I don't want to see Hild at all._

"Because I told the Devil..." Frowning, Mato ripped the remains of his tunic away, leaving him wearing a skin-tight black tanktop. "That I'd be coming down there to talk to her. I'm finished screwing around, and I'm gonna call in a favor that she's about to owe me." With that said, he started walking, leaving Urd behind.

"Going to owe you? How is that even possible? Hey! Wait up!" Urd scurried along to catch up with the man. "You can't just leave me here alone, by myself!" She trailed after him for a few seconds, before she couldn't take it any longer. Urd was rarely patient with things that didn't appear to be under control. "What are you talking about?"

"Simple. I'm going to ask Hild for an army." He trudged on without breaking stride. As they began to move deeper into the layer of Hell they were on, it seemed that more and more Demons were creeping out of the hiding holes they had been occupying when the man had battled Goshinki. "And if she's not gonna give me one, then I'm going to **beat the Hell out of her, and take it myself**." Combing his fingers through his remaining hair, glistening strands of bright green light flowed over the burnt patch of scalp, coalescing into thick tendrils that hung down around his face and shoulders. The tissue beneath the light warped and shrank down over his skull, mending itself in a matter of seconds. Raking his hand through the glowing tendrils, the dim light faded away as it washed over his fingers, shifting into a long mane of coal-black hair. Thin, filament-like strands of bright red reflected the gloom of the hellish layer he strode through, completely unnatural-looking.

Urd shivered at the sudden change in Mato's voice. It sent a chill down her spine, something that almost never happened to the Goddess. _He's not kidding, he's really going to attack Heaven. I... I don't even know if I should stop him..._

One man was about to start a war.

And Heaven help whomever got in his way.

Kanna slammed into the wall of the Tendo dojo, thudding bonelessly on the floor. "...Ow." Stunned for a moment, she slowly pulled her limbs in, curling them under her body. _I hurt all over. Do something. Please._

_Whaddya want me to do? This is your fight kiddo. I'm just here for the ride._

_But you did something in the last fight._ Levering herself up, Kanna managed to raise herself onto her hands and knees. Gasping for breath, the small girl's body shuddered with the effort of keeping itself running. _Why won't you do something to help me now?_

_Because. You need to toughen up._

_And if I die?_

_I seriously doubt that HE'S gonna kill you anytime soon... Well, maybe by accident._

"Get up." Crossing his arms over his chest, Ranma Saotome tossed his pigtail over his shoulder with a flick of his head. He didn't look very pleased with his student's progress, if his face was any indication. Then again, Ranma had the world's second worst poker face, following closely behind the Gambler King's. _Why is she doing worse than she did before? I caught a peek of how she moved when that Demon was here, she's nowhere close to that level now. Maybe she used that trick of her's on someone when I wasn't looking... But on who? Nobody I know moves anything close to how she did. It was... Different. If it was martial arts, it's a whole different level than anything I've seen before. Unless... Maybe something similar to Saffron? Or Herb. Hmm, I think I need to talk to Akane and Shampoo, maybe they remember something._

"Can't we take a little break?" Kanna struggled to get her breathing under control. Her lungs felt like they were going to burst. _I could die, I can barely move. Help me, please._

_Ugh. I know you've never really hit the wall before, what with being a non-combat Demon and all, but you're not going to die. Trust me. You just need to dig deep._

_Dig deep?_

_Yeah kiddo. Just reach down deep, into the very core of your being, and you'll find that you've still got something left to use. This is important to learn, so make sure you remember it, ok?_

_Important? My core?_

_Yeah, what makes you who you are. You need to try and reach those last reserves of strength. If this were a real battle, life or death, you'd use that to survive. But don't think it's that simple._

_It's not?_

_No, it's not. Using those last reserves, that last little bit of life left in you, could easily kill you anyway in the end._

_... Oh. Then why risk it?_

_Why not? Why do anything?_

_I don't understand._

_Yes you do, you just don't know that you know._

_... Huh?_

_Ugh... Think about the time when you fought that Demon._

_Goshinki._

_Yes. You ran right up and fought that thing head on._

_I did._

_And when you ran in between Urd and it again, even though you would be killed._

_I had to. He needed my help._

_Yeah, well... You risked everything. You put your life on the line. That's what being alive is all about. You take risks, and you put everything you have at stake for what you believe in. Even if it'll cost you everything you have, you do it anyway. Fight to live, live for what matters._

_So... What matters now?_

_You tell me._

_... Oh._ Gritting her teeth, Kanna forced her arms to straighten out, lifting her thin body up as she struggled to stand. _I think I know what matters right now. _Clenching her small hands into tiny fists, the little albino girl jerked her head, flicking her mane of snow-white hair out of her face. _Winning this fight._ Bounding forward, she cocked her arm back, flinging a punch with all the strength her exhausted body could muster.

Smirking, Ranma flicked out his hand to swat the punch away, seemingly without much effort at all. _That's better._ Snapping his leg up into Kanna's side, he tilted his body, hooking his leg to fling the small girl across the dojo again.

THUD!

_Ok, that HAD to hurt._

"Nnnhhh... Where..." Opening her eyes, Ukyo looked around for a moment, confused. "Where am I?" No matter which way she looked, all she could see in any direction was flat, plain, grey. Not a single feature at all. It was like being at the bottom of a pot of paste. "What happened? The last thing I remember..." Trailing off, she put a hand to her head. "My ribbon's gone? I remember... A flash of light, and someone yelling."

SLEEP.

"Huh?"

SLEEP NOW CHILD.

"Oh, alright. I suppose I am very tired." Blinking drowsily, Ukyo ran her fingers through her hair, feeling shredded bits of cloth catch in her locks. They felt odd, somehow. "Could you tell Mato where I am? I'll bet he's worried about me. Heh, heh... For once." Yawning, she picked a few bits of the cloth out of her hair and stared at them. _Burned yellow and white? I wonder what happened?_

SLEEP.

Nodding, Ukyo put a hand over her mouth as she yawned, slowly drifting off to sleep. "Just tell Ma... Zzzz."

HE WILL KNOW SOON ENOUGH.

HE WILL KNOW WHEN I AM READY TO DEAL WITH HIM.

"GHHK!" Pain blossomed all along Kanna's back, a broad, dull ache that mingled with the sharp stabbing sensations running down her spine from neck to tailbone. Slumping to the floor like a corpse, the girl's dark eyes stared vacantly, unblinking.

_Oh sh- well, crap. I think you just died. _

_..._

_Hello? Hey! Can ya hear me? _

_..._

_No? Crap. Sigh._

Frowning, Ranma Saotome stood at the other end of the dojo, staring at Kanna's limp little body. "Oops. I think I kicked her a little too hard." Wincing guiltily, Ranma flexed his legs a few times, dropping into a low squat. _I thought she'd had more left than that, the way she came at me like that._ "... You're not breathing, are you?" It took a few seconds, but panic began to kick in once Ranma's brain hammered in the point that breathing was necessary for living.

Kanna's fingers twitched, once, twice, before clenching up. "Ow. That really _did_ hurt." Slowly pushing herself upright, the little girl looked around. "What the crap? I can't see." Her magnificent mane of snow-white hair was draped over her face. "Oh, right. Hair." Levering herself up onto her feet, she tottered a bit before steadying herself. "Man, that's a lot of hair for a kid to have." Tossing her head back to flip her hair out of the way, she arched her back as well, languidly stretching out her thin body. "Mmmm, aaahh. Feels nice to be able to move around again, even if it is a little cramped in here."

"Uhhh... Huh?" Ranma, as usual, had no idea what was going on at all. "So, you're ok then?" He had to be the only one, as other, more intelligent people, had probably already figured out what was going on.

If they were paying attention.

"Hmm?" Uncurling her body, Kanna buried her fingers in her hair, glancing over at Ranma out of the corner of her eye. "Well, if you skip the part where you bruised five or eight ribs, pinched a spinal disc or two, and collapsed a lung... Then yeah, I'm good."

"Huh?"

"Ugh, and people think _I'm_ the uncool one." Rolling her eyes, the little girl fluffed out her hair with both hands. "Let's just say I'm fine now, and we do this thing." Shaking her hands out, she flashed the larger boy a quick little grin. "On your guard, _Sensei Saotome._"

"Uuuhhh... Huh?"

Chuckling, Kanna threw herself across the dojo in a single bound, her long white locks fluttering in her wake. "Pay attention! I'm only gonna be doin' this once!" Twisting around in mid-air, the little girl swung her arm around, snapping out a backfisted punch. "Orraaa!"

"Or wh- ACK!" Danger sense prickling, Ranma suddenly realised that the attack that was coming was something _very bad_. Jerking up both arms to block the punch, he felt the impact in the back of his teeth. _Wh- what was that?_ Hopping back to put a little space between them, Ranma stared wide-eyed at his student, arms tingling.

Tapping her bare toes against the dojo floor, Kanna had scarcely touched the ground before she shot towards Ranma again. "Running away ain't gonna do ya any good this time Saotome!" Grinning, she cupped a hand at her hip, suddenly lashing out at the taller boy's throat with palm strike.

It was a simple matter for Ranma to swing his arm upwards, driving the attack up and away from his head. The only thing that bothered him about that attack was that he'd had to stop holding back so much to do it. _When did she get so fast? Or strong? What's going on?_ Again, Ranma bounded backwards to give himself some breathing room.

"Running away again? Not gonna work today!" Clearly enjoying herself, Kanna barely touched the ground as she lunged forwards once more. _He must be really off his game if he's letting me shuffle him around like this. Hehehe, poor Saotome._ Stomping the ground as she landed just short of Ranma, Kanna brought her fist down in a hammerstrike, aiming to slam her fist onto his chest and knock the wind out of him. _This'll take the fight out of him._

Again, Ranma avoided the blow, this time with a quick backstep. He felt the girl's knuckles brush the front of his shirt as he continued to move backwards. _What's gotten into her? I never taught her any of these moves, and I know she didn't learn them from anyone here. Not even Ryoga fights this roughly._

"I'm not stopping, even if you don't fight back!" Dropping into a low crouch, Kanna sprang forwards and jerked her upper body backwards. Arching her back as the world turned around her, she snapped out a foot, launching a kick up at Ranma's chin as it rotated past her. _I can't remember the last time I had a chance to bust out a Flash Kick... Oh wait, I do remember. When I kicked that stupid Demon's ass, while it was in Akane's body._

Once again, Ranma gave ground, rather than blocking, and risking injury from the raw force of the attack. There was also the matter of the fact that he'd probably end up breaking Kanna's limbs if he stopped any of them cold. _There's no way her body has enough resistance to take any of the hits she's dishing out. She's not built like Shampoo or Ryoga, she'd break like a twig._ _I need to th-_ Something flat and solid thumped against Ranma's back, derailing his train of thought. _Ack! The wall!_

_I'm amazed that Kasumi could make lunch so fast. I thought she'd been in the house the whole fight, but I guess she went out for a walk... I don't remember seeing her go out before the fighting started though. Oh well. _Smiling, Akane picked her way across the battle-torn back yard, heading for the dojo. _I'll just watch them spar for a bit, before I tell them they can take a break for lunch. Maybe a bath too._ Poking her head into the dojo, Akane's smile froze, then switched off in an instant. _Kanna has Ranma up against the wall? Oooh, that idiot! How's she going to learn anything if he keeps going so easy on her? And to think, I thought all that thumping was them training. He was probably just showing off a lot._

Grinning, Kanna had already landed on all fours, and launched herself into the air again. _Perfect. He was so distracted by what I was saying, and all these clumsy attacks from this weak little body, that he totally forgot to watch where he was going._ Flipping around in mid-air, Kanna turned what would have been a flying dropkick, into a two-footed stomp. _Geez Kanna, you really need to start working out. Your limbs are like little twig-things._

Thinking quickly, which was a feat considering the brain we're working with, Ranma shoved himself away from the wall, skidding off to the side, making another narrow escape. Definitely_ not anything the Tendos would've taught her, or pop neither. She ain't spent any time with granny, or Shampoo. Who'd she learn these moves from? _Unconsciously dropping into his stance, Ranma's body tensed up all on it's own, then relaxed. No matter how messed up his thinking was, his body had had enough of the funny business, and was ready to fight.

_Time to land a damn hit and end this little sparring session._ Dropping into a crouch as her heels hit the wall, Kanna pressed one hand against the wooden surface as well, gripping it with her fingertips. _He's finally gonna start fighting back, good. I was worried I'd spend all day whiffing the air for nothing._ Bunching up the muscles in her legs, Kanna closed her eyes. _Right. Time to go all-out on his ass, and kick him clear across the dojo. _A familiar tingle spread through the little girl's body as she extended her senses, both inside and outwards. _Aaahh, there it is. The air in Nerima is always thick with Chi. It's pretty rich too._ Snapping open her eyes, she stared hard at the martial artist, irises stained bright green. _Perfect._

Chapter end!

Phew, that takes care of that. Sure, this chapter is a page short, but on the other hand, now I won't be torn to shreds by furious fans. Yaay!

You guys have no idea how hard it was to find a stopping place in the middle of this fight scene. Luckily, I think I found just the right place to gap the chapters.

As it is, I have about two and a half pages to go, before I run out of already-written stuff. Ah well.

Just to put one person at ease, contest winner Teturo's entry will be in the next chapter, though the prize may not come until the chapter after that. What is it? It's a secret!

Also, I'm not gonna be making this a trilogy, I decided. Instead of writing a third book, I'm just gonna run this one extra long. Lets face it, nobody wants book three to be a half-length entry.

Uh, what else, what else? Oh, yes. I am going to try and tie the end of this book into another unfinished story I had... Hopefully, I won't forget to do that. Then, if I'm lucky enough to have remembered, I'll finish that story off too.

What am I gonna do after that? I dunno. I've got two original books I'm in-progress on at the moment, and I still have a few fanfic works that're needing some attention, or at least, finishing up. Maybe I'll start taking short-story requests, that could be interesting. I can easily bang out a dozen or so pages in a few hours, I figured that out when I wrote 'Before Myself, Beside Myself'... Hmmm...

Ah well, review reply time!

Scourgeofthegalaxy - Yeah, yeah. I'm alive. I noticed nobody attended the fake funeral I set up. I thought you people were my FANS? Uh, punishment? My new stereo headphones kinda pinch my ears, does that count? Ah, sorry about the disturbing story content, I do tend to have that sort of effect on people, don't I? Ha, I did that back in the last book too, didn't I? Remember the knife in the eye?

... Whoops?

Ahem, anyway, this new chapter is hot off of the desktop, and the next one should be following in a week or two. Maybe sooner if I get all fussy and drink coffee. I try to avoid caffeine for the most part, because I go on a writing bender... Also, I make three to five trips to the bathroom an hour. Ok, so maybe the bathroom thing is the main reason why I don't drink coffee, sue me.

Thanks for the kind words.

Pryde Kitty - Good grief, is this what I get for being a writer? A mob of awesome fans, and kickass writing skills?

... Wait.

No, nevermind, I forgot what I was gonna say. Where was I? Oh, right, the mob. AAAHHHH! Nah, kidding. Hopefully, this chapter has come soon enough to keep you all from, er, well, mobbing me. Seriously, what's up with you all threatening me all the time? I didn't become a lawyer SPECIFICALLY to avoid being mobbed by angry people for a reason y'know. And that reason is, uh, to avoid being mobbed... By mobs...

... Yeah.

Anyway, thanks for the support from all my loyal and kick-ass readers. The rest of you (perhaps the ones who don't ever leave reviews) can hang your collective heads in shame... Or send me presents. I'm _kidding._ Send cash, I'm too lazy to write-up a list of the stuff I want.

Next chapter: More kick-ass fight scenes! Plot details! Maybe the ruler of Hell gets the everloving CRAP kicked out of her! Unless she's smart enough to NOT piss off one random jackass wandering through Hell with a Goddess in tow.

Also, I think Kanna's a nudist. Somebody needs to talk to that kid, seriously.

Until next time.


	18. Chapter 18

_Ack! Danger!_ Throwing up his arms into a guard position, Ranma began moving backwards as fast as he could. He didn't know what was coming, but it was setting off enough warning bells in his head to wake a fatass panda.

Launching herself from the wall, Kanna closed the short distance between herself and Ranma in less than an eyeblink, literally appearing in both places at once. Just as quickly as she'd traveled through the air, Kanna whirled around, lashing out with a foot sheathed in an envelope of bright green light. "Jade Mountain Crusher!" A long, emerald tail flowed along behind her leg, burning a path through the air.

Shifting his footing and dipping groundward as Kanna whirled around, Ranma snapped a kick of his own up into the air, slamming his foot into the middle of the girl's chest as her leg hissed over his head. As fast as Kanna was, Ranma was easily twice as fast, owing to his lifetime of training and combat experience. His reflexes were almost too fast for their own good, and he was barely able to check himself, and avoid caving in the little girl's chest with his counter-attack.

Flying across the room, Kanna clutched one arm to her chest with the other. _Goddamn bastard broke my arm. Lucky I actually GOT my arm up in time, or that woulda been my entire ribcage instead._ Flipping over a half-dozen times, she slammed feet-first into the dojo wall opposite Ranma, splintering the wood with the force of her impact. _Oooh, he is SO getting a Shi Shi Hoku Dan right in the face!_ Cupping her good arm at her hip, Kanna looked 'up' across the room at Ranma.

The entire display of martial arts prowess was over almost before Akane realised it. _I could barely see either of them moving. I didn't... I mean, I hadn't noticed just how fast Ranma could move when he's serious._ Both kicks, in fact, nearly all of the pair's moves had seemed to be like a series of blurry freeze-frames to Akane's eyes.

"Mouko-"

_Crap! What's he doing? He's gonna vaporise me with that amount of Chi!_ Frowning, Kanna continued to draw in energy like a dry sponge soaking up gasoline. _Great, either he vapes me, or I take in too much and explode. Great options there._

_... What's going on?_

_Oh, NOW you wake up? Great timing there kiddo. Just friggin' perfect._

_Why are you taking in so much energy?_

_It's Chi. Martial arts term. _

_... Well?_

_Uh, why? Why don't you just use your Goddamn eyes and see for yourself?_

_But you're using them._

_Oh for- just look already! Geez._

_...Oh._

_'Oh'. Yeah 'oh' is right. Yeash._

_What are you going to do?_

_I was thinking I'd give dying a shot, seeing as how it's always worked out so well in the past for me. Tch._

_... You can't stop it on your own?_

_Not with your body, no._

_Can I try then?_

_... Sure, why the hell not? I mean, the only thing I got up my sleeve would level the building, and I just noticed that Akane's standing there. So that one's out._

_... I like Akane._

_Well then I guess you'd better have an idea that doesn't involve massive explosions then, huh?_

_... I could reflect it._

_... What?_

_I could re-_

_I HEARD you the first time. _

_Then why-_

_Now's not the time to be explaining jokes to the straight man. Just tell me how you're gonna pull this one off._

_I need both of my arms to do it... And you broke one._

_Oh sure, blame me for everything. Ok ok, I'll fix it. Keep your panties on._

_Akane yells at me if I take them off._

_... Shut up._

"Taka..."

Reaching up with her good hand, Kanna jerked on her broken arm, resetting the fracture with a quick tug. _Oh sweet merciful crap that hurt._ Frowning, she glanced around the dojo as a pale green glimmer washed over her once broken arm, flowing out from her uninjured hand. _There, all fixed. Lay your plan on me kiddo._

"Bi-"

_I'm a Void Demon, and I used my mirror to absorb and reflect attacks before you gave me this soul. _Bracing herself against the wall, Kanna extended both hands towards Ranma, splaying her fingers out wide. _It should be simple for me to do it again. _Concentrating hard, Kanna focused on summoning her mirror into her hands._ How do you stick to the wall like this?_

_Trade secret. So um, when are you gonna do the trick with your mirror?_

_I'm trying._

_Picoseconds are trickling away here kiddo, no pressure._

_I'm TRYING. It's not working._

_Uh, say what?_

_I can't make the mirror appear._

_Uhh... Have you ever had this problem performing before?_

_Never._

_That's what they all say... Well great. We're gonna die. _

_..._

_Or, if we don't die... This is gonna really, really, REALLY... Sting like the dickens._

"Sha!" A brilliant sphere of blue light formed between Ranma's cupped hands, hung in the air for a moment, then shot across the room like a sapphire rocket.

_I don't suppose you could just TRY to do the trick without the mirror? Y'know, rather than give up and die?_

_I'll try..._

_Ok, so try then. And remember what I said before._

_... Live._

_Damn straight. Now kick ass kiddo._

Akane had an instant to gasp, before the Chi blast struck Kanna.

"Come on, who's next?" Flicking around his empty hand, tiny threads of stark black ripped through a Demon, tearing it to shreds, following the path of his fingers like whips. "I don't have anymore time or patience, so just get in a friggin' line and let's do this already!" Baring his fangs in a snarl, Mato slammed the face of the Demon he held in his other hand into the ground, shattering its skull like an overripe melon.

Dozens of Demons were rushing the lone man, flinging themselves at him in a desperate bid to bring him down.

They weren't doing too well.

Word had spread quickly that God had sent a Seraphim to slay Hild herself, and many a Demon had rushed across the layer of Hell, hoping to bring the Angel down and rise in status.

Urd knew for a _fact_ that Mato was no Angel, but she wasn't interested in coming out of hiding long enough to correct the misunderstanding. _This is insane. No Angel, not even a Seraphim would be stupid enough to come down to Hell alone, let alone keep calling out to everything like that._ The worst part was, as stupidly impossible as it was, it looked like the man was _winning._

And that was a _terrifying _thought.

"Hey, Urd!"

_Oh God, oh God, what are you DOING? Don't call out to me like that!_ Trembling, Urd poked up out of her hiding place, in spite of her better judgment. "What?"

"How many layers to go before we get to the damn bottom already?"

"One more, I th- EEK!" Bolts of Hellfire sizzled past Urd's head, singing her hair, nearly taking her head off. It only took her a second to realize that she'd been surrounded by a half-dozen Demons, at least. _Not good._ As far down in Hell as they were, Urd was too far removed from Heaven to channel any sort of Divine energy to defend herself with.

"Hey." The air infront of Urd wavered for a moment, unblurring to reveal Mato standing between the Goddess and several of the Demons. "Y'know she's Hild's daughter, right?"

The Demons shrank back for a moment. Understandable, as they remembered what had happened to the last Demon who'd even _mentioned_ Hild's daughter. Goshinki had gotten off light in comparison.

"Heh, thought so. Oh, FYI?" Bright red sparks danced around Mato's hands, casting an eerie light across his face. "**Boom.**" Several pillars of bright red light exploded into the 'sky' of Hell, carrying flash-fried bits of Demon into the air, drifting on clouds of bloody mist. "Ah man, it really is getting fun using all this energy hanging around in the air. Really **easy to do too.** Heh heh, 'boom'." Shaking his head, he looked around for another pack of Demons, ignoring the expression on Urd's face.

_I think I made a mistake._

_Why do ya say that?_

_Because you're the one holding it back, not me._

_Well, yeah, but only because you panicked like that._

_... I was scared... It didn't work._

_That's why it failed; Because you lost focus._

_..._

_Look, we'll talk about this after. _The bright blue orb of energy crackled, spraying off sparks into Kanna's hair. _Man, this thing sure is heavy._ Straining her arms, the little girl continued to shove against the chi attack, trying to keep it from outright crushing her. _Really need to get this body into proper shape. What a pain in the-_

_It should have worked._

_Didn't I just say we'd talk about this la-_

_But it SHOULD have worked! Why-_

_BECAUSE YOU GAVE UP! _Growling, Kanna's eyes began to shine brighter, the chi she'd been absorbing welling up and trickling down her face. _Never give up, not ever. Not even if it means you have to die to win._ The blue orb began to slowly creep back, millimeter by millimeter, sliding away from the girl's face.

_But... I'm scared._

_Which is worse?_ Kanna's arms crackled softly, her bones beginning to fracture beneath the weight of the incredibly heavy attack Ranma had unleashed. _Dying alone, or dying along with everyone else you care about?_

A vision of a bloodied Ukyo flashed through Kanna's mind.

_I'll be damned if- eh?_

Letting out a pitifully small growl, Kanna pushed as hard as she could, forcing the blue ball of light even further away from her face. The dojo wall splintered under her bare feet, and she dug in her toes, trying to gain leverage. _I. Wont. Let. That. Happen._ Threads of lavender light swirled around the tiny girl's body, weaving themselves into a net of light, sinking into her hands.

For an instant, nothing happened.

Then the dojo burst into splinters.

"What do you intend to do with the girl, oh Lord?" Kneeling at God's feet, a woman with hair the color of dark chocolate, cut across perfectly at chin length, waited to be commanded. She wore what amounted to bikini briefs and a spandex tank top with a thin horizontal diamond cut-out over her collarbone, both colored jet black. Broad tanned leather guards hovered over her shoulders, attached to a band running around her middle, the trailing straps hanging down over her back, stretching down to the turned-down tops of her boots. Fingerless gloves, adorned with unclasped, silver buckles, a trio of bracelets on each wrist, and a silvery choker completed the ensemble. On any normal woman, the outfit would look impractical, and downright tacky.

But the woman in question was a Goddess, as the trio of blue triangles on her temples and forehead plainly marked her, and nobody dared to call her out on her revealing clothing.

God said nothing, ignoring the Goddess. He was more interested in looking off into the distance.

The silence dragged on, and a prickle of heat formed at the small of the Goddess' back. "I... Have delivered your message, as you asked, oh Lord." Still, the silence continued. "Do you really think the monster would be so brazen as to attack Hea-"

A blast of frigid air cut her off, and the Goddess trembled.

"DO NOT QUESTION ME. SIMPLY DO AS YOU ARE TOLD."

"Y-yes, oh Lord. M-may I go now?"

"GO, PEORTH. AWAIT AT THE GATES, UNTIL YOU ARE OTHERWISE SUMMONED."

"Y-yes." Getting up quickly, Peorth turned and nearly ran out of the chamber. She could feel her heart hammering in her chest, as if it were about to burst. Even first-class Goddesses were nothing compared to God Himself. She wasn't about to question why she was being made to wait at the pearly gates, the entrance to Heaven itself, nor why she'd been asked to bring a message to the God of Thunder.

Her job was merely to obey.

Letting out a grunt, Akane shoved a hunk of broken wall off of her head. _Ow, that hurt._ Slowly getting to her feet, she realised that if the wall hadn't come apart the way it had, she'd most likely be out with a nasty concussion by now. "Hey, what were y- oh, wow." Squinting, she held up a hand to shade her eyes.

A haze of wood dust hung in the air, shattered particles dancing around in the brilliant blue, green and lavender lights that shone in what used to be the Tendo dojo. Kanna and Ranma stood perhaps a dozen paces away from one another, breathing raggedly. Blood stained Kanna's formerly white gi, and the tiny girl sported several cuts across her cheeks and forehead.

Cuts matched by the ones on Ranma's face and hands.

The pair tensed for a moment, then suddenly vanished. Sharp cracks, and blasts of air came from nowhere, buffeting Akane. Squinting against the bright, strobing lights, she could see brief flashes of the pair here and there. It was just like she'd seen before; Blurry freeze-frame images of the two appeared, and then vanished just as fast.

There was a sharp, final _crack_, and suddenly Kanna was sprawled out on what was left of the dojo floor, blood weeping from her lips, and the dozen or so cuts on her face. The mixture of blue-green-lavender light that had been swirling around her suddenly winked out.

Staring at the little girl for a moment, Ranma took a deep breath, and let it out in a sigh. The glowing aura of sapphire light that wrapped around his body slowly faded away. "...Whoops."

Akane blinked. "Whoops? What do you mean _whoops_?"

"I think I hit her too hard." Ranma smiled sheepishly.

"Well obviously, stupid!"

Groaning, Kanna rubbed her face, wincing at the sharp stings. Rubbing hot water into fresh cuts didn't feel very good, but they needed cleaning out. "It hurts..."

"Oh, sorry." Smiling, Kasumi wrung out the washcloth, and resumed dabbing at the albino girl's bare shoulders. "Doesn't it feel better to be clean though?"

_It hurts a lot._ Of course, Kanna didn't say that aloud. "... Yes." The voice in her head had gone silent shortly before the fight had ended, and she didn't know what that ment. She didn't even know if it was good or bad. Instead of worrying about it, she decided to finishing explaining what had happened to her. "And when I woke up, I couldn't make the blue light glow anymore. I don't know why."

"Silly, that's because you only absorbed a little of Ranma's power." Kasumi continued to dab at the various cuts on the girl's body. "I'm not surprised that you used it all up fighting, Ranma is a very strong boy, after all."

Kanna mused on that silently. As always, Kasumi spoke very plainly, and was a master of the obvious. It was times like this that it was a handy gift to have. "I guess so... Maybe you were right about the mirror too."

Kasumi smiled again, gently scrubbing at the dirty spots on the little girl's face that _weren't_ covered in cuts or scrapes. "Well, if that boy threw it away like you said he did, why would you think you could use it again?"

Kanna _wanted_ to argue that, she really did, but again, Kasumi's simple logic made sense. She'd lost her mirror in another dimension, it was likely she'd never be able to call it again.

"Instead of trying to go on as you were, you should focus on realizing who you've become." Nodding, Kasumi folded up the cloth, soaked it, and plunked it down atop Kanna's head. "There, now you can relax for awhile. I'm going to take a nap now, I feel a little tired." Smiling, Kasumi stood up and slowly walked out of the bath room.

_Weird, Kasumi sounded a little too level-headed. Looked kinda pale too. I'd almost swear something was up._

Kanna blinked. _You're back then?_

_Tch, never left. I just took a backseat to let you try and fight on your own._

_Oh._

_You did pretty good kiddo, but don't take my word for it?_

_Then who-_

"Not bad kid." Dropping a bundle of bathing supplies beside the tub, Urd looked down at the little albino girl, fists resting on her bare hips. "Just what I'd expect from one of Mato's students."

Kanna stared at the Goddess. "... I'm Ranma's student."

"Maybe you are _now_, but you weren't at first." Shaking out her mane of stark white hair, Urd dropped into the tub without another word, sinking up to her middle in the water. Letting out a sigh, she splashed a little water onto her face. "So... Kevin's gone with the old lady and the top-heavy girl. It's just us two outsiders now."

Kanna nodded wordlessly, staring still.

"I figure he'll be ok. Between him and the old lady, they'll probably figure out some sort of way to fix up his hands. Kevin can be pretty clever when he puts his mind to it." Slicking back her hair, Urd tilted back her head, water trickling down her dusky skin.

Kanna's eyes followed the path the water droplets took.

_Hey, could you maybe stop oogling her rack so much? It's kind of irritating._

_They're so... Big... And... And..._

_Oh for-_ Grumping, Kanna reached up and slid the washcloth down over her eyes, leaning back against the tub. _There._

_Hey!_

Several hours later, someone found Kasumi laying in her bed. She'd bled out internally with a smile on her face.

Chapter end, what a dick I am.

Meh, don't complain, I gave up an extra page to make up for the short chapter last time. I don't think I really have much to say on this chapter, other than 'I hope I remember to give Kevin a bigger part in the next chapter besides a mere mention'. Heck, I pretty much entirely forgot about him this whole chapter. Mentioning him was pretty much an after-thought after I'd written it up.

Anyway, a few more hints on things to come. Feel free to guess what's gonna happen.

My money's on not many people guessing much right, because hey, nobody saw it coming when I killed of Kasumi, did they? Needless to say, mostly to cut off several trains of unhappy thought, I'd planned on doing this a few chapters ago. That's right, I planned on this gut-punch a YEAR ago. Mwaha, I'm a jerk.

Anyway, review replies.

Teturo - Thanks, I'm pretty proud of my cliff-hanging abilities. Hopefully, you liked how your winning entry turned out. Your prize is coming up in the next chapter.

God help me, if I stupidly forget when I write it.

James Birdsong - Well I'm glad you liked most of the story... But what's wrong with the first five chapters? Er, other than the fact that they're an utterly chaotic, random mess of dimensional hopping and such? Nevermind, I think I answered my own question.

Pryde Kitty - Hey, I'll thank you not to expect me to take responsibility for my own actions. As you can see, I also somehow remembered Kanna's obsession with breasts. Good grief, I've got to start giving characters milder traits to develop.

And hey, it was only like, one page short. Glad you liked it.

Thanks to all my loyal readers. And now I shamelessly plug myself by saying 'If you liked this chapter, feel free to check out some of my other works, like my original novel The Sword Saint, and its sequel The Sword Saint Two; Sword Harder'.

I'm kidding about the Sword Harder part. I didn't actually call the sequel something that... Hilarious, to be honest.

Though I'm thinking of parodying Twilight. I can see it now...

TwiHard.

TwiHard Two; TwiHarder

TwiHard Three; With a Stalker

And finally.. TwiHard Four; Live Muggle, or Die Potter

Good grief, I need help. Seriously, who writes jokes this bad? Somebody stop me before I do a Twlight/Harry Potter crossover.

Crap, I just looked up. I've got the perfect title for that kinda junk, don't I? That's it, I'm ending this right now before something else pops into my head.

Next Chapter; Goddesses, Demons, Heaven and Hell. Nobody is what they seem to be, except for the few who are exactly what they seem to be. Up is left, and Death is White.

Until next time.


	19. Chapter 19

"Blah." Sighing, Kevin stripped off his shirt, carefully folded it up, and set it down atop his pants. _I just really don't know what to do. With my hands messed up like this..._ Lifting his arms, he stared at his heavily-bandaged hands, torn up beyond all recognition. Shadowy limbs trailed behind his own, moving with an ethereal grace as they scooped up both soap and sponge, and began washing his chest. _If it wasn't for my magic, I probably would be hospitalized right now._

_You'd be long dead, actually._

_Ha, thanks. I needed that. You're so good at cheering me up. Ass._ Sighing again, Kevin turned to look at his reflection in the glossy bathroom tiles. His face and neck were covered with scratches. _Ugh, looks horrible._ His finger bones had shattered, spraying out fragments that had cut up his head and upper chest. _I'm lucky I didn't lose an eye or anything._

One of the spells he'd woven into his precious duster was one that prevented him from bleeding from minor cuts and scrapes. That was why he'd lasted long enough to get his hands wrapped, but it was also why nobody had noticed that his face had been all cut up. Once the duster had come off, however, his face quickly began to drip blood all over. It had looked like something out of a horror movie.

_Y'know..._ Flickering a little, Mato leaned back against Kevin's back, crossing his arms over his chest. _You should really do better at whipping up that healing spell. If you make me wait any longer, I'll be the one to heal your body. And we both know it'll undo any sort of gains you've made since the big Holy Demon fight._

_Gee, that sounds good._

_Man, you're just a master of sarcasm, aren't you?_ Smirking, Mato tilted his head down, closing his eyes. _Just keep putting effort into everything, and you'll make leaps and bounds ahead of what you are now._

_What, you mean that Kung Fu stuff Shampoo wants me to learn?_ Kevin shook his head. _It hurts my hands, even when I block with my arms. I have my barrier and shield spells to protect me anyway._

_And when you need to catch someone falling out of the sky again, and you're drained of magicy stuff? Or need to blast someone far away? What then, smart guy?_

"Rrrr..." _Shut up, smart ass!_ Clenching his fists, Kevin let out a pained whimper. _Owwie... My hands hurt._

_I'm better than you, face it. I'm also older by more than a decade, so I know combat better than you ever will... For now._ A sigh. _Your nerves are healing, that's why it hurts. I guess even my mere presence in your body is having a subtle effect on it. If you start feeling a tingling in your eyes, lemmie know._

_Yeah, yeah._ Before he'd even realised it, Kevin was scrubbed, cleaned, and rinsed off. Moving over to the steaming stub, he carefully lowered himself into the nearly-scalding hot bathwater. "Aaaaah! Ah ah ah! Ho~ot!"

_Keep those hands up. _Mato had drifted over to sit on the edge of the tub, one foot propped up on the rim, the other stretched out along it, his back pressed against the slick tiles. _With your hands messed up like that, you can't even hold your gun, let alone use any proper magic. So learn the damn techniques already! Geez. I had to suffer through all those bad action movies, all those fights, all those damn holes in the 'heroes' fighting styles and guards... DON'T make me suffer for nothing, dammit. Learn to fight properly, or ELSE._

_Or else what?_ Kevin leaned back against the tub with a sigh, finally used to the water's temperature. Arms dangling off the edges of the tub's rim, he let his hands hang, and relaxed. _What could you possibly do to me?_

_I'll grope Shampoo's chest, and lick her neck._

_... Holy sh- No. Way._

_I'll show ya how to rip off a girl's underwear, without damaging a thread, while she's got both feet on the ground._

_Th- that's... Actually, tha'd be pretty cool... Ah, I mean... For use in combat... As a... Distraction?_ Kevin blushed a bit, turning to stare at the tiles on the wall.

_I'll demo it on Shampoo for ya._

_Augh! No way!_

_Then learn the damn stuff she's tryin' to teach ya._

_God! Fine! You're such a pervert._

_Only goin' on what you dream about._

_Ugh, stay outta my dreams, jerk... Can't a guy get a little privacy?_

_Nnnnope._ Smirking, Mato glanced at the door, then faded out of existence.

Staring at the thin air, where the image of the voice that had been in his head for more than a year now had just been, Kevin let out a long sigh. Closing his eyes, he sank deeper into the water. _I wonder what it'd be like to have a normal life? I mean, I'm actually pretty content with the one I live now... But I still kinda wonder what 'normal' is like._ Wisps of steam rose from the surface of the bathwater, tickling his face.

_Kevin..._

_Kevin._

"Kevin!"

"Geh?"

"Wake up man, you're day dreaming again!"

"Yeah yeah." Sitting up, Kevin tugged at the collar of his track suit, irritated. It was a sunny day, and despite the cold, it was still a bit warm for exercise in a track suit. Yes, gym class was a harsh mistress indeed. "Who's up next?"

"Togashi. Then Ralph, then you." Jeff, one of his classmates, sat on the grass next to Kevin, a red armband with black numbers on it pinned to his sleeve.

"Blah, long jump?" Kevin flopped back down onto the grass again, instantly unconcerned once more. "Who cares?"

"Aren't you part of the track team though?"

"Who cares?"

"You'll get in trouble with the gym teacher."

"Who cares?"

"The girls are watching."

"Who cares?"

"I said the _girls_ are watching."

"They are?" Kevin sat up again.

"Ha, that got your attention."

"I said 'who cares?' remember?" Kevin flopped back down again. "Dumbass."

"Jerk." Sigh. "Don't you ever worry about anything?"

"Nope."

"Oh, Togashi fell. Ralph's- woah!"

Kevin slitted open an eye. "...What?"

"A bee!" Jeff flailed at the air, trying to shoo away the insect.

"It's after your armband." Kevin closed his eye again. "Cover it up with your sleeve and it'll go away."

"... Ok, that worked." Sighing, Jeff left his sleeve rolled-up over the armband, which signified what group he was with. "You've got an answer for everything, don't you?"

"... You'd think so." Sighing, Kevin hooked an ankle over his bent knee, lounging on his back.

Around the two teens, the rest of the school's population was going about trying out for various teams and clubs, as well as forming small, temporary groups for the upcoming inter-city sports meet.

Jeff snorted, watching Ralph try his hand at the long jump, and fail... Badly. "Wouldn't you rather be anywhere but here right now?"

"You kidding? I wish I was here right now." Kevin turned his head to the side, feeling sunlight against his upturned cheek. "It's relaxing here."

"You're a weird guy Kevin, you know that right?" Grunting in irritation, Jeff flicked ash from his pants. "Stupid stuff sticks to my hakama."

"Yeah, well... Wait, what?" Opening his eyes, Kevin turned to look at Jeff. "Uh."

"What?" Jeff straightened his obi, adjusting the sword stuffed into it. "Oh look, Ralph's gonna go again. Sweet red haori too, heard his dad got it for him."

Making a small, strangled sort of noise, Kevin sat up in the to watch Ralph make his jump.

The problem was, Ralph didn't look like an extra from an Edo Dynasty period-piece a few minutes ago. Bright red baggy jacket and pants at least a thousand years old in style fluttered along with the teenager's stark white mane of hair, waist length easily. Sailing through the air, he cleared the entire length of the long jump pit, and a few dozen feet past that.

"This is... Am I in a coma dream, is that it?" Kevin looked around. Dozens of students were dressed in gym uniforms, or track suits. An equal number of students looked like they'd just come from japan at the turn of the millennium.

Nobody seemed to notice the change.

"Yup, I fell asleep in the tub, drowned, and now I'm in a coma." Kevin slowly got to his feet, nodding to himself. "Yup, that's what happened."

"Oh look." Jeff nudged him with his elbow, hands tucked into the opposite arm's sleeves. "Some Demons are attacking again. Probably hitting people up for smokes again."

"... This is like a very bad, low-budget movie." Putting his hands to his face, Kevin tried to _not quietly go mad_. "AAAAUUUUUGGGHHHH!"

Because when you went crazy, louder was better.

Unfortunately, several of the Demons heard that, and decided to head over towards the yelling. Fur of various shade, gleaming or dull scales, claws, and beaks, and fang, and talons. It seemed there was no end to the procession of Demons that drew ever closer to Kevin, an endless legion slowly circling around him.

"... Well, this is bad..."

"They'll never stop coming."

The small voice coming from below nearly made Kevin leap out of his skin. "Gah! Where'd yo-"

"They'll keep coming until they kill everyone." A little girl, hardly more than ten stood there next to Kevin, barely coming up past his waist. Her thin fingers fisted the hems of her colorless kimono sleeves, skin as pale as her stark-white hair.

All the light seemed to drain out of the earth and the sky, turning to dust, and ash, and blackness crak'd by jags of purplish lightning, frozen in mid-arc. The air had turned dry, rasping and catching at the throat. All the students, and the school, and the surrounding city had gone, leaving nothing but the Demons behind.

"We'll never get away from this..." The girl seemed to shrink in on herself. "... We're alone now..."

The Demons loomed, drawing so close they seemed to blot out the land and the sky, there was nothing but the twisted, foul creatures.

"... They're both gone..." Not once did the girl's tone change, flat and neutral. Practically lifeless. "... I don't want to keep going on alone."

Surprised, Kevin stared at the girl. For a moment, he had no idea what to see, with the nightmare circling around them as if they were at the bottom of the world, and every single horror up above was draining down on top of them. "...No."

Lifting his hand above his head, Kevin set his eyes on the Demons that seemed to stretch on endlessly, filling the entire world, countless beyond number.

It was just him.

And the Demons.

And the girl.

"We do not give up." Bright motes of light flowed up along his arm, fat sparks of yellow light gathering about his hand, winding and spiralling around Kevin's fingers. "Not today." The light continued to grow, brighter and brighter, swelling around the only two people in that horror-filled world of darkness. Groping around blindly, he seized one of the girl's hands with his free one, squeezing it tight. "We do not give up today."

The light burned on in that place of darkness and ash, continuing to spread out, turning the Demons it brushed against to dust. A keening din rose, from nearly nothing to a sharp pitch that seemed to make the air itself _shiver_, the light somehow resonating with the teenager. "WORLD RENDER!"

Kevin squeezed his hand shut on the light.

For an instant, everything turned white.

And when the light faded...

There was nothing.

"Uh... Ok, weird." The little girl looked up when she could see again. The teenager was staring at his fist, opening it up, looking into it and seeing only his palm. "You'd have thought something would have happened." Looking around, he frowned down at the girl. "It uh, looks like I broke the world, I think." He shrugged. "I guess I just can't imagine what it would look like if I actually used everything I had at once like that."

The girl blinked.

"Well, whatever, I guess the nightmare's over." Turning away, the teenager stopped when the girl tugged at him, her tiny hand still closed over his own. "Uh, I can't get back to my body if you don't lemmie go you know."

"... What... Are you?"

He shrugged. "I dunno, does it matter?"

"But-" Her throat closed up all of a sudden. "But I need answers!"

Turning back, the boy swept his free arm out, making his long coat billow out wide. "Of all the people who fight the darkness, of every one around us, different Hopes, different beliefs, different ways to live; _We do not give up_." A shadow of something loomed around him, in that world of colorless nothing.

The shape of another man, hovering protectively.

The world shook when _he_ spoke.

"**Not today. We do not give up today**."

Kanna jerked upright with a shallow gasp.

She was back in Akane's room, on the floor. Raking her mop of snow-white hair back with one hand, she pushed the covers away with the other. A lot had happened since she'd come to this world, most of it she was unsure of. Frowning, she looked around the room, all unfamiliar, modern things belonging to a modern girl, from a modern world. What was she, in this place, in this time. Was she nothing, like she was back then?

_No._

_Not today._

Feeling something tighten, then swell in her chest, Kanna turned over and grabbed a ragged, dirty bundle of cloth from the flood beside her futon. Standing up, the tiny girl pulled on the gi as she moved to leave the room.

Outside, the sun had sank halfway down to the horizon, and already the moon had begun to creep up into the sky. The yard was still a mess, torn up, shreds of wood and shards of stone littered all about.

Ignoring the state of her surroundings, Kanna dug her bare toes into the torn earth, twisting her hips. One arm jerked back, low at her hip, the other snapping up in front of her chest, both arms bent at the elbows, tiny hands balled into fists. Twisting her hips the other way, she stepped into the punch, stepping again, and punching again, over and over again. She advanced with every attack she threw, until she reached the remains of the dojo, crushed down to the foundation. Spinning on her heel, Kanna advanced once more, kicking out nearly as high as her own face, planing her leg after the kick, and repeating the same move with the opposite leg, moving back across the yard again.

The sun vanished behind the horizon, taking its light with it. Night descended, and then receded as the light of the moon shone on, heedless of the darkness. Sweat tangled the girl's hair into clumps, soaking her clothing, trickling down her face.

Still, she continued on, heedless of the darkness.

_We do not give up today._

A faint glimmer of purple light danced in the night, surrounded by darkness on all sides.

A single spark surrounded by black.

And it grew brighter, the darker it got.

Chapter end!

Hey look, I didn't die after all, I'm just a lazy schmuck!

Yeah, I- oh... That's just about as bad, isn't it?

... Damn.

Nah, not so much lazy as in pain. Lots and lots of pain. For those of you playing the home game, I advise you to never throw your back out if you can help it. Major ow.

Anyway, moving on.

Um, yeah... This chapter basically said 'Kevin's gonna be fine'... And that's about it, wasn't it? Man, when you look at it that way, it seems like I just can't get to the point and ramble on and on.

Oh well.

Before anyone can ask, Kanna was having a nightmare, and Kevin 'somehow' got pulled into it. It's not the first time it happened either, dream sharing. For those of you who remember the first time, and knew what was going on well before I explained it; Good for you. Gold star for you. Everyone else, silver stars of shame. Heh.

And now a bit of flavor on the world! Guest-starring; Ranma Saotome!

"Aw, I don't wanna."

Do it or I throw you to the fans.

"Pffft, like I care."

... Fine, the fangirls then.

"Oh GOD no!"

Then go.

"Ok ok! Ahem... Uuuuhhh... Line?"

A quick primer to chi and the emotional spectrum.

"Ok, so, um... Blue is Confidence. The more you feel it, the easier it is to win, because if you think you're good, like me-"

Ahem.

"Then you're gonna do better, because you're not doubting yourself. But if you start losin', then you're gonna have a tougher time winning, because you're not gonna be as confident in your skills. Ummm..."

Yellow.

"Oh right! Yellow's depression and stuff like that. Ryoga uses that, because he's always bummed out about somethin', so it works for him. Since I always win, he's either mad or really depressed when he's fighting me, an' that makes him stronger. If he starts winnin' though, he get weaker. Negative emotions are, um, like a circle thingy."

A vicious cycle.

"Right. Unless you really outclass the guy you're fightin', you're gonna just make the fight last longer, instead of winning. Anger is even worse, because you'll probably go overboard and kill someone. Ucchan uses it, an' I don't really think it's her thing. She's always cheerful and stuff, but then she was depressed about something... So I dunno."

... That was helpful. Also you forgot to say it's red.

"Sorry."

What about purple?

"Uh? Um, I dunno?"

Oh for- Ok, you're done, I'll finish it myself.

Purple is blue and red mixed together. But you're smart, so I'm sure you can figure out what that means. It's also mixing two colors together, which is impossible, and cheating. Mwahaha, I'm evil, have I mentioned that lately?

For an amusing treat, try reading Kevin's dramatic 'we do not give up today' speech while listening to 'Obama sings replay' on youtube. I totally promise you it'll ruin this chapter forever for you.

Hilariously.

Ahem, moving on and not making all my readers throw their arms up in the air and claim I've forsaken them, _yet again_...

Uh...

Review replies!

Teturo – Yays!

Pryde Kitty – Kevin is here, in this chapter. See? That's why he wasn't in the last one, he was _in the future, _doing this one. OoooOOOooo. Nah, just kidding. Oh, Kasumi's dead so I can not explain that question until the end of the story.

Man, I'm a real jerk, ain't I?

Hopefully, everyone liked this chapter... If you didn't, keep it to yourself.

Actually, think of this chapter as kind of a primer for the next one. It's really just to get you up to speed on what's happened with Kevin and Kanna, kind of a primer really.

So, my next chapter blurb for this one, is actually the same as the last one. Oooh, I can even add some italics in, so you can all get paranoid trying to figure out what it could possibly mean.

What fun!

For me.

Ha!

Next Chapter; Goddesses, Demons, _Heaven_ and Hell. Nobody is what they seem to be, except for the few who are _exactly_ what they seem to be. _Up_ is _left_, and _Death_ is _White_.

Until next time.


	20. Chapter 20

_That was a weird dream, wasn't it?_

Sighing, Kevin leaned back in the tub, turning his head up to face the ceiling. Eyes still closed, he imagined he could almost see the voice in his head. _I get the feeling that it was that girl's nightmare, not mine._

_Heh, you're getting better at this stuff._

_Well, you remember it happened before, right?_ The bathwater was starting to cool, if only by a few degrees. He'd have to get out of the tub sooner or later, or his hosts might get worried and come looking for him. _That's how I knew I had to come looking. But I thought he was in trouble, I really did._

_You wanted to play hero._

_I wanted to help, if only a little bit._ He felt the cool, slick surface of the tub's rim press against his bare forearms. It reminded him that he'd left his focusing device back home, on his dresser. In his vocation, a magic-user couldn't cast magic without something to focus on.

In Kevin's case, he'd chosen a metal bracelet.

There was no particular reason why, really, save for the fact that Kevin had preferred using electric-based spells, and though rabbit's fur and an amber rod would have worked better, a bracelet was more easily accessible. Before his life had turned around, he'd used a reproduction of a twelfth century Templar's sword, with fancy gold leaf embossing. He'd blown a few month's allowance on it too, such a waste.

He was also lousy with it, to the point he'd spent weeks enchanting it so it would confer on him the ability to actually use it with some semblance of skill.

_You also never hit me once with it._

_Shut up, don't remind me._ Kevin had actually been dumb enough to try attacking him with it, that was humiliating to remember. A good fifteen seconds blown, whiffing away as hard as he could with the sword, and Mato didn't even notice he was being attacked. Grimacing, Kevin put his bottom lip between his teeth and chewed lightly on it. _I was scum back then, wasn't I?_

_Na~ah, just a bit of a punk._

_But I tried to kill you._ That was the worst part; Realising how close one had come to the point of no return. _I wasn't any different from Slade. One step shy, that's all._

_Well, yeah. _

_And you saved me, twice._

_Well, yeah._

Sighing, Kevin sunk into the bathwater a little deeper, feeling water slosh up his neck and against his chin. He'd claimed an abandoned warehouse, some little independent movie company went bankrupt and just left it. Kevin had claimed it as his own, and all the medieval props, costumes, and dummies were just fuel for his arrogant, juvenile ego. _A pathetic little pretend adult, pretending to __be a pathetic little king, of a pathetic little kingdom._

_You're welcome for that, by the way._

Chuckling humorlessly, Kevin flexed his legs a few times, making the water slosh around. _I almost want to say 'I can't believe my own sister tried to kill me', but I'm just surprised that she stopped when you told her to, before she could finish the job._

_Yeah... You two take this whole 'hero' thing way too seriously._

_No kidding. If I was some cosmic joke of a black knight, she was the ironic white knight... And still a total joke._ Sighing, Kevin eased his way up into a sitting position, getting ready to make an attempt at getting out of a wet and slippery tub on his own, without the use of his arms.

_You never did explain how you do your magic thing without your toys anymore._

_Focus devices. _Kevin slowly propped his elbows on the rim of the tub, getting up onto his knees._ And I do it the same way you could cast the occasional spell._

_Hey now, I use myself as a medium bec-_

_Yeah, and so do I._ Ever so carefully, Kevin clambered out of the tub, swinging one leg over, easing his chest down onto the tub rim, swinging his other leg over, then pushing himself back up onto his knees with his elbows again._ I use _you_ as my medium._

_That's kind of cheating, you know._

_I know, aren't you proud of me?_ Grinning, Kevin got to his feet and sighed. "Now, how do I dry myself off?"

The bathroom door rattled open. "Shampoo help!" The perky Amazon bounced into the room, wearing nothing but a smile and a towel. "Shampoo bring stupid hero-boy towel and l-"

"AUGH! GEDDOUT!" Turning away, Kevin covered himself as best he could, mortified beyond words.

Blinking in surprise, Shampoo tilted her head to the side. "... Shy?"

"OUT!"

"It's so nice here..." Sighing, Kanna stared up at the sky, at the billions of pinpoints of light far up above her. She'd collapsed a few minutes prior, and once she'd caught her breath, she'd realised that it wasn't such a bad place to be.

Nerima. The Tendo house.

It felt like a home.

"You'll catch a cold if you sleep out here in the open like that." A mane of magnificent white hair, and a dusky face adorned with blue triangles filled Kanna's vision.

"..." Staring up at the woman, Kanna slid a forearm over her brow._ She's beautiful, right? Will I become beautiful someday too?_

Blinking, Urd waved a hand in Kanna's face. "Hello~? Anyone home?"

_There's... No answer?_ Kanna blinked, startled. "Um, I was... Training. Then I got tired."

"Ah." Smiling, Urd drew back, sitting down in mid-air, as if it were a perfectly normal thing to do. "As expected from one of Mato's stu-"

"I'm not his student, I'm Ranma's." Frowning, Kanna turned over onto her hands and knees, staring up at the Goddess. "I already told you that."

"Yeah yeah, you told me a thousand times." Urd waved a hand, unconcerned. "But he still took you under his wing, so I'm still right, right?"

"He... Gave me a soul."

"Oh?" Clasping her hands around one knee, Urd hugged it to her chest. "That's interesting. Where did he get it?"

"It was his, I think..." Kanna put a hand to her chest, closing her eyes. "A part of it, at least."

Urd's eyes widened, and her hair seemed to frazzle up.

"But, I don't hear it speaking to me anymore."

"Oh? Let me see." Rotating ninety degrees, Urd reached down to cup Kanna's cheeks, pressing her forehead against the smaller girl's brow. She hummed quietly for a moment, translucent notes of blue and white drifting into the air around the pair.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

"Not quite singing." The notes swirled about them now, dancing of their own accord. "Another idea I picked up from him. You don't put out all the cheese to catch a rat, if a single slice will do." The Goddess closed her eyes. _Hello? Are you in there somewhere Mato?_

Kanna watched, confused. She could hear the woman's voice, but not with her ears, and it wasn't the same way she heard the voice in her head normally. It was different, somehow.

_Hey Urd. Great view from in here._

_View? What are you- oh. _Flushing a little, the Goddess turned the girl's face upwards, so she wasn't staring point-blank into her cleavage. _This girl you picked up is a bit of a perv._

_Yeah, I kinda noticed that too. Dunno where she gets it from._

_Not you, certainly. _Smirking, Urd closed her eyes, working her way inward. "Oh wow."

"I know, right?"

Greek columns, arches, and massive bookshelves of white and gold marble were everywhere, extending out into the distance. Grey marble blocks, shot with curls and swoops of black tracery lay underfoot. Far, far above, massive hunks of unformed grey stone drifted aimlessly, as if in imitation of clouds.

"This is what your soul looks like on the inside? I'm impressed." Urd brushed a hand through her mane of snowy hair. "Still a whole lot of empty space in here though."

"Ha ha, always a pleasure Urd. Pain in the ass." Muttering, Mato sat atop a column, legs crossed, arms folded over his chest. "It just looks this way because I apparently arranged it to be so when I stuck it into this girl. It'll be useful in the future, I'm sure. You wanna tell me why you came in here to pester me, exactly?"

"Because the girl you're hotelling inside is worried that you've gone quiet." It was a little disturbing to see just how vast a space his soul occupied, even as a fragment of a soul. Also that he shaped his own soul when he transplanted it. She wouldn't admit that aloud, though. Whatever the actual Mato was, he wasn't operating on the same level that mortals did. Apparently, neither were bits of his soul, either.

"Well I can't always be pestering the kid." Sighing, Mato tilted his head to the side, closing his eyes to think. "Gotta let her live her own life a little, otherwise what's the point of me doing all this?"

"What indeed." Urd leaned over, inspecting a row of books on the shelf next to her. "Kama Sutra Revised: Volume seventeen of... A hundred and thirty six?" Urd's hair frazzled up again.

"Do you mind? I don't go picking through your memories, now do I?"

"Yeah, but... When did you have the time to think about all this stuff?"

"You'd be surprised what you can do in your free time when you don't have to regulate any brain processing power to a body."

"The proper application of muscular tension can increase sensations in various areas, depending on the location of the stimulus, level of tension, and position and posture of the body." Kanna held a volume open, standing next to Urd. "For example, if one were to spread-"

"Gah! Gimmie that!" Urd yanked away the book, slamming it shut, holding it over her head. "Little girls don't need to know..." The Goddess trailed off, an odd expression on her face.

Kanna stared wordlessly up at the Goddess.

After a few seconds of thinking, Urd lowered the book and opened it up.

Kanna continued to stare.

Urd's hair frazzled up again.

Kanna slowly inched around to peek at what was on the page.

Urd slammed the book shut again.

"Are you two boobs done screwing around yet?" Growling, Mato resisted the urge to swoop down and thump the pair. "I swear, I can't believe I died for this sort of crap." The urge to go about bopping the pair was incredibly strong. "What did you come out to the yard for anyway?"

"Oh, one of those girls in the house died." Urd put the book back on the shelf with the others, nudging Kanna away from them. "The tall one, I didn't quite catch her name."

"Aw, Kasumi kicked it?" Now there was a depressing revelation. "That's not good."

Urd nodded, not feeling the need to comment any further.

Kanna, on the other hand, stared at the two. "Kasumi's... Dead?"

Urd merely nodded.

"And neither of you are sad?"

Shrugging, Urd patted the girl on the head. "Mortals die all the time, and I didn't actually know her personally." _Humans live about as long as anything else on the planet, just short little candles compared to God, or Goddesses, or other immortals like-_ Urd glanced up at Mato. "You knew her?"

"Uh, not this one, but the one from our dimension, yeah." Sighing, Mato cupped his cheek with one hand, resting his elbow in the palm of his other hand. "Nice girl, no matter what world you're from. Kinda like your sister Belldandy."

This was the first time Kanna had felt anything resembling sorrow. She'd barely felt joy for the first time a few days ago. It was also the first time she'd ever lost anything close to a friend, with the exception of Ukyo. She was still sure that Mato, the one with the body, would bring her back from where ever they'd been taken. "But... Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"Oh, they're probably still grieving right now." Sighing, Urd crossed her arms over her middle, leaning back against one of the towering bookshelves. "Mortals aren't all that different from us, but they all handle grief in different ways... I doubt they'll want to tell a little kid like you about this until they're able to handle it themselves."

"Ye-ah, I forgot about that." Mato tapped his fingers against his cheek. "Physically, Kanna looks ten, but she's- what, not even a year old?"

"Nearly." Kanna didn't know what to do. Inside, her guts felt like they were knotting and twisting themselves up so tightly, she feared they'd burst. "Wh-what really happens to humans when they die?"

Urd glanced at the girl. "They go to the afterlife, the side they'd earned their place in. If you're good, you go to Heaven, and if this girl is anything like my sister, there's going to be a small parade waiting to greet her." The Goddess of the Past smiled wryly.

"And if you're bad, like me." Mato smiled wickedly from up on his perch, green eyes twinkling. "You get to go to Hell, where all the fun stuff is."

"Liar." Urd rolled her eyes.

"What? Heaven is peaceful and boring as all get out." Mato stretched his legs out with a grunt. "Fighting, bloodshed, terrible people and horrors of every kind you can imagine. I never get bored down there."

"Then why do you keep coming back?" Smiling slyly, Urd examined the nails of her right hand, knowing the answer would be something smarmy, instead of the truth.

"Hey, you act like it's always my idea to come back."

"Isn't it?" Kanna's shoulders shook, the girl was fighting to keep her composure. "You came back for Ukyo, didn't you?" Someone she knew had died, and that mattered now. It never had before, nothing had mattered before, and now something had changed. It was _scary._

Frowning, Mato stared at the girl for a few moments, before standing up on the column. "I don't wanna talk about it." Hopping down, he lightly landed near the girls, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Instead, let's just do something. The people here are gonna be out of commission for a few days at least, so we're gonna step up the plans a bit. Urd, you need to find a shortcut into Heaven. Kanna, you're gonna go inform Kevin that he's out of time."

Urd nodded, flickering out of sight as she returned to the real world. Soul-fragment or not, Mato was still Mato after all, and moving forward was just what he did. Except when he was moving sideways.

Kanna, however, was confused, even more-so now than she had been before. "Out of time for what?"

"Meh, he'll know what it means." Looking around for a moment, Mato let out a sigh. "I guess I'm gonna stay in here, y'know, since I can't get _out_, and do some thinking, or something."

Kanna hesitated, caught between conflicting desires. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do more: Break down and cry, or scream and hit things. "Are... More people going to die?"

"Meh, I dunno." He shrugged. "Probably. Better off taking the fight somewhere else, then we'll only have to worry about our own butts."

"A-and Kasumi?"

"What about her?"

"Can you bring her back? Like how you come back?"

Blinking once, mildly surprised, Mato leaned over to look the little albino girl in the eye. "What makes you think she wants to come back? She's in Heaven. _Paradise_. The eternal reward for being a good and decent person." He stared levelly at her, backs of his hands resting on his hips. "Open bar, free buffet, the works. It's like having Christmas morning, then your birthday in the afternoon, before having Thanksgiving dinner, and moving on to New Year's Eve. _Every. Single. Day._"

That caught Kanna off guard. Mostly because she had no idea what those things were, yet somehow did, because of the soul-binding. She knew a lot of things that she actually didn't know. It was confusing, to say the least. "B- but I... I want her to come back... She was nice to me."

"Well, sorry, but you're gonna have to do what every single other mortal does when somebody they know and care about dies."

Kanna's little hands balled up into fists, pressing into her thighs. "What?"

"Live with it."

(Live with it? What kind of stupid comment is that?)

(Just what I said boy.) Cologne frowned into the bubbling depths of the potion she was brewing in a tiny little, cast-iron cauldron. She briefly wondered why such methods were called for, then shrugged it off as being merely tradition.

(But she walked in on me in the bath!) Kevin clutched a towel to himself with his arms, partly amazed that he'd managed to get that far in covering himself, considering the state his hands were still in. (You're just expecting me to let that slide?)

(What do you want?) Cologne kept her eyes on the slowly burbling fluid as she very slowly poured seven and a half pinches of powdered limestone to the mix, changing the color from jet black to a translucent vibrant violet. (You want to give her a spanking?)

Kevin recoiled. (What, are you nuts?) He shook his head, as if the old woman was out of her mind. (Look at my hands. _You_ do it.) Oh yes, Kevin was good and mad about the whole situation.

He also had a habit of holding grudges against women. The last few to cross him had left a few emotional scars, after all. Then again, two of the last had tried to fight him to the death, one of which was his Goddess-corrupted sister.

He had a complicated childhood.

(Very funny boy. Now come over here and check my mix.) Frowning at the contents, Cologne picked up a ladle, made of hickory, bound with willow bark around the handle, with one hand, a small tin cup with the other.

(Stop!)

Ladle a half-inch from the now florescent pink mixture, the Amazon Elder glanced over at the boy. (Is there a problem?)

(Well, if you want to lose a few fingers, no.) Shuffling over quickly, Kevin held his towel on with one arm, swallowing his humiliation, and nudged the ladle away with the elbow of his other arm. (You need to ice that thing first, otherwise _pow._)

Cologne tilted her head to the side.

(You mixed in limestone ground by hand, right?)

Shaking her head, the old woman frowned. (Who has the time for that boy? You want your hands working sometime this year, don't you?)

(Well, yeah. But machined limestone powder changes the thermal shock variants in potions. In a rich mix like this, it'd go off like napalm on frozen gasoline.) Frowning, Kevin looked around the deserted kitchen. (Actually, this whole room would probably go up in flames.)

Staring at him for a moment, Cologne carefully set down the cup and ladle again. (I see. I'll just get some ice from the freezer then.) Hopping down off of the stool she'd been standing on, the old woman sighed. (I don't suppose I need natural ice, cut from a polar area with a herring-bone knife, do I?)

(What? No, don't be weird. Who would use herring-bone in a knife?)

Shaking her head, Cologne went about getting out a bag of ice from the small deep-freeze. (It was a joke boy.)

(Oh.) Tilting his head to the side, Kevin blinked in confusion. (Hey, do you hear a clanking sound?)

(I do, in fact.) Holding a bag of ice nearly as large as she was, Cologne stopped in the middle of the kitchen, looking around. (It sounds like it's coming over here. What could-) She frowned, cut-off in mid-sentence by the odd contraption that rattled its way into the room.

It was an odd-looking thing, nearly a foot taller than the Elder, colored red and off-peach, with what looked like a sombrero-sized mushroom-cap for a hat. In an amusing sort of way, it looked almost like it was sort-of human.

It looked as if a ten year old had designed it, then gave it white, butler-style gloves to wear.

(Oh, it's a robot.) Kevin blinked a few more times, confused even more. _I thought this was nineteen ninety-five? Where'd this robot thing come fr- oh CRAP._ (Get away from it!)

If Cologne had learned one thing over the past few weeks, it was that when a strange boy told you to get away from something unnatural, you got away. Flinging the bag of ice at the odd contraption, she dove across the room, scooped Kevin up, and leaped into the dining area, just as the entire kitchen went up in flames. Landing roughly in a heap with the boy, she sighed. (And I had just bought a new set of pots, too.)

Groaning, Kevin sat up, clutching his hands to his chest. Landing so roughly had _hurt_. (Ow... I'm so sorry for your loss. Allow me to show my sympathy by passing out from the pain now.)

(We don't have time for that boy, I'm very much doubting that that was the end of our troubles.)

(Please, no Terminator references, I don't think I can handle any-) Kevin froze, in mid-cringe, when he heard a clank come from the direction of the burning kitchen. (Aw no.) And knowing better than that, relying on instincts honed by years wasted watching movies, he hurriedly scrambled to his feet, taking care not to jostle his hands. They felt like they were on fire anyway. Another tap, and he'd probably pass out. (Outside, quick.) He'd lost his towel at some point, and didn't really care.

The pair rushed outside, the wizened old Amazon grabbing a table cloth in passing, whisking it around the boy's waist after they'd crashed through the doors, skidding to a stop.

They stared, dumbfounded.

(Snow?)

(Isn't it supposed to be late spring here?)

Cologne nodded, staring at the huge white puffs as they drifted slowly to the ground. (I would have claimed that a moment ago, yes. I fear we are in trouble again, boy.)

(When _aren't_ we in trouble.) Shivering, Kevin was keenly aware that, save for a linen sheet, he was completely nude. (I hope this is a heavy table cloth.)

(I hope you aren't too attached to your toes, because much more of this cold, and they won't be any longer.)

(What're you ta- oh ha ha.) Kevin would have rolled his eyes, if a series of squat, shadowy shapes hadn't caught his attention. (Oh good, we're outnumbered _and_ royally screwed.)

(I'm starting to regret our association, boy.) Cologne frowned, as the shapes resolved themselves into figures much like the machine that had intruded on the kitchen not more than a minute ago. (Odd.) The Elder cocked her head to the side, tucking her hands into her sleeves. (Does that look like english written on them to you too?)

(Oh yeah.) Nodding, Kevin shivered at the bone-numbing cold he felt. (It's my first language.)

(Care to read it out-loud? My english is spotty, at best.)

(Sure, it says 'Banpei-kun RX-78-1'. But what that me- oooohhh, COME ON!)

Blinking, the Elder glanced upward at the boy. (I take it you have a problem?)

(Yeah, I do.) Gritting his teeth, Kevin glared at the writing stencilled on some of the other machines.

Banpei-kun RX-78-2. It was painted in bright red, blue, and white.

RX-78-3. Light blue and grey.

RX-78NT-1. Blue and white.

RX-78-4. White, grey and blue.

RX-78-5. White, grey and red.

(Well what is it?)

(They're all UC first and second series-based Project V models.) Kevin shivered again, and not just from the cold this time. _Six on two, and they're all styled after the UC series Gundams. I'm dealing with an anime fan here, and I only know of one kind of person who'd deal in machines like this._ (We are so totally screwed, it's not even funny.)

Cologne stared blankly at Kevin for a few seconds, before letting out a sigh, a large puff of steam rising from her mouth. It was _cold_ out. (I have no idea what you're talking about, but I understand that being outnumbered does indeed look bad for us.) Shaking her head, she stepped forward to address the new threats. (Well, I'll just have to deal with them on my own then. Try not to get caught in the fight, will you? With your hands like that, you won't be able to do much good.)

(Yeah, no, it's not that.) Trying to contain himself, Kevin took several deep breaths, feeling the frigid air prickle his lungs like tiny thorns. _I can't do anything to help fight with my arms like this, so, I need to take this confrontation on a different level._

_If you can't win a fight on your opponent's terms, make them fight you on your own terms instead._

Nodding to himself, Kevin stepped ahead of Cologne. The voice in his head was as reliable as ever. (Lemmie try first.) Taking a last deep breath, and regretting it, he steeled himself. "Well, ok... What do you want?"

The odd machines just stood there, staring blankly at him.

_Yeah, I really don't think anyone expected me to do any talking here._ Sighing, Kevin shook his head, tapping his bare foot impatiently against the snow-covered ground. "I don't have all day here, what with the frostbite and all, so come on. Tell me what you want!"

As if confused, the machines glanced at one another.

_Yeah, from what I recall, mass-production bots tend to run on the same OS from a linked feed. They don't actually have an individual consciousness, so it's the operator that's confused._ He continued to wait, and wasn't sure what he was hoping for. He knew nobody would be bursting onto the scene to save them, and he didn't have any _sleeves_, let alone any tricks to hide up them. This was a desperate, stalling attempt, at best.

After a few seconds, one machine stepped forward, its chest popping open to reveal a monitor and speaker grille. "-Ould be working... Maybe if I..." The voice was deep, bassy, and obviously artificially distorted. "Oh! Got it working. Ahem... I-"

(Figures. Sloppy.) Shaking his head, in spite of the clenching feeling in the pit of his stomach, Kevin put on a bold, unconcerned front. "You forgot to turn the monitor on."

"Wh- oh!" The monitor blipped on, revealing a figure in silhouette. "Thanks, I thought that I- ahem." The figure put a hand to its mouth, making a throat-clearing noise. "Surrender, mortal. You face the great Sc-"

"Isn't the point in hiding yourself and disguising your voice to NOT give your identity away?" Kevin rolled his eyes, feeling a little less terrified. A little. _Still kinda amateurish, but not nearly as crazy. I think I can deal with this._

"O-oh, yeah... Right. I knew that." The figure leaned back, fidgeting somewhat. "Now then mortal, for your crimes against- er... For your crimes, you must pay."

"Almost let it slip again, didn't you?" A wry look flashed over Kevin's face. He had no clue where he was going with this, he needed to come up with some sort of plan. His mind raced, running through his mental catalogue of spells he could perform without channelling mana into his hands.

It was a short list.

_Crap, I'm SO screwed here, it's not even funny._ Trying not to panic, he looked around. Nobody but himself and Cologne was around. Despite the fact that it was snowing in the middle of spring, not a single person had stepped outside. _Ok, it doesn't make sense._ Closing his eyes, Kevin carefully pushed his senses outside of his head. _Easy, easy. Take it slow and careful. Let the mana trickle in, and shape it around the familiar pathways._ Casting a detection spell would have been easier, but he needed his hands to do that, since it lay outside of his usual domain of magic. _There. There's some sort of boundary field set up. It's making anyone who tries to approach the area get lost and travel away from here._ He opened his eyes again. _No help is gonna come before this is settled, one way or another._

"Sh-shut up!" The shadowy figure leaned forward, slamming its hands onto whatever the camera was resting on, making the image jump. "I don't care what you think, I'm going to stop you no matter what it takes!" The figure scooped up something. "Banpei-kun squad, attack!"

The machines all hunched over at once, and there was the deafening flurry of whrrs and clacking, as weapon ports opened, and missile pod covers snapped back.

(Ah crap.) Kevin winced, knowing it wasn't going to be pretty, whatever happened next.

"Bakusai Tenketsu!" A spray of stone shards peppered two of the machines. Armor scraped, dented, distorted, then finally gave way as the pair was torn apart by the violent shower of shrapnel.

Kevin boggled, staring at the havoc wreaked in nearly an instant. "Wh- holy crap!" He turned, looking at the source of the attack. "That was amazing, how'd you do _that_?"

Standing up straight again, Cologne brushed off her robes. "I happen to have a few tricks of my own, boy." A sly smile curved the old woman's mouth. "Why don't you let me show you a thing or two?" Rolling up her sleeves, she slowly advanced on the remaining four machines. She planned on avenging her lost pot set.

The machines sized up the situation, then shifted their formation to address the single threat they detected. One third their number had been decimated; Tactics dictated that they obliterate the target before it could unload a second volley.

In an instant, the small target had closed the gap between itself and one unit, smashing its lower extremity into the unit's primary optical detection array, caving it inward until the casing and rotational mount snapped, separating the sensor's housing from the chassis. The lower extremity rotated back and forward again, directly impacting the chassis, crumpling the primary armor plate inward, folding the housing until the broken linkage of the rotational mount contacted with the bottom of the chassis.

In other words, Cologne knocked the machine's head off, then kicked it in half.

In less than ten seconds, Cologne had taken out half of the machines, without even breaking a sweat. Kevin grinned. "Ooooh, this is gonna be _great_."

And then I ended the chapter, 'cuz I'm a jerk.

Mwahahaha!

Ahhhh... Yeah, yeah I am.

Despite the seasonal difficulties, I bring to you all and extra-long chapter. Apparently, I fold like Superman on laundry day when one of my readers takes me to task.

Not a whole lot I've got to say about this chapter by now. Some more insight on Kanna, and a bit more background detail on Kevin, and how he's changed since he stopped being a dip-switch.

Oh, and an explanation for the whole Kasumi thing. I honestly thought it would have been obvious why none of the characters outside the core Nerima group really cared all that much. I mean, the Amazons aren't exactly close with the Tendo family, Urd and Kevin are pretty much strangers, and Kanna's just a kid.

Really. The Tendo family has things to do other than inform complete strangers of this kinda thing.

Ah well.

For those of you who haven't noticed, or just didn't think much of it, the focus of the story has changed since Ukyo was pulled out of the picture. She was pretty much the one bridging Nerima to all these weirdo strangers, and without her, everything just doesn't seem to mesh well, does it?

Review reply time.

Pryde Kitty – Wow. You'd think I was charging you for this stuff... Wait, can I start charging for th- no, wait. Fanfiction, dammit. Anyway, you got your one wish; More stuff about Kevin, a new chapter, and next chapter the fight will conclude, and Mato comes back into the picture again. I think you kinda wasted that wish though... I woulda wished for chocolate.

What? Can't go wrong with chocolate, can ya?

swk3000 – Yes, Kasumi is dead. And no, I just didn't show the people who would care about that sort of thing. I really don't think we want four pages of me describing a family's emotional state and suffering, now do we? Needless to say, they're all very broken up about it, but I just don't wanna write something like that, ok? As for killing Kasumi being an ass-pull, well... I planned this a year ago, and I still think it's more gut-wrenching to drop an emotional bomb on the reader, rather than ease into it.

Hey, you can't say it didn't work.

As for the disconnection, that's also true. None of the now-primary cast have much, if any proper connection to Nerima and the crew living there. Kanna is the only one, and she's still coming to terms with what it is to be a proper living person now.

Now that that's done...

I feel the urge to ramble a little.

Heh.

I have been thinking a bit about doing a semi-sequel to this story, though centered around Kanna, rather than Ukyo again. I'd like to hear your opinions on that.

Keeping in mind, that I'm gonna finish this story before I start up a new one, so no asking me for what I'm already gonna give ya, ok?

Anyway, that's all for now. I've got a house to prepare for relatives staying for Christmas, and I haven't even STARTED shopping for presents yet, eep. What can I say, it's been a hectic month.

Ah well, Merry Christmas, dear readers, and a Happy New Year too.

Next chapter; Cologne isn't finished yet! Kanna rushes to deliver the message, and Mato...

Wh- no no, I must be imagining things... There's no way he'd be taking a break for tea time, right?

Until next time...


	21. Chapter 21

"Agh! Fire CIWS! Fire missiles! Fire everything!" The controller of the machines pounded her fists onto her desk, making the camera and microphone jump and rattle as she vented her frustration. "Don't let them get away!"

The Demon boy and the old woman who'd betrayed them both leaped in opposite directions, splitting up the firepower of the remaining three Banpei RX-78s. Mini-missiles and small-scale Close-In-Weapon-Systems sent up puffs of propellant and gunpowder. Micro-beam rifles pulsed, making the darkened city street strobe pink and green.

"Argh! Don't let them get away I said!" Leather creaked as the girl clenched her red-gloved hands. Half the squad was down, and the fight hadn't even lasted thirty seconds yet. Readouts flashed up on her screens: Most of the missiles were gone, and all three units' CIWS systems were depleted, all without landing a single hit. "Deploy Incoms!"

Banpei RX-78NT-1 took off, thrusters in its feet flaring bright blue as it took to the sky, circling a good fifty feet above the fight. The two large Vee-shapes on its back detached, mini-thrusters propelling them out to either side, trailing control lines guiding the wired Bits into place. Electricity crackled between the gaps in the Vee-shapes, the array of capacitors heating up as they approached maximum charge, clouds of steam rising from the alloyed shapes as they began to glow a faint red.

_My best creation so far; The electron-gun. I'll fry them both with a shot each._ A grim smile twisted her lips, strands of sweaty hair plastered against the girl's forehead. "Full power, fire!" Clawing the hair away from her face, she smeared sweat away from her brow, a faint sheen making the blue inverted teardrop shimmer in the dim light of her makeshift workshop.

The Incoms crackled and smoked as their capacitors red-lined; They were built for power, not for safety or repeated shots. To be fair though, particle beams rarely required a second shot, since the target tended to _explode_ when shot.

The Demon boy looked up as a last salvo of mini-missiles streaked past him, he'd dodged directly into one Incom's line-of-fire. "Oh _crap!_" The look of horror on his face made it clear; He wasn't going to be able to avoid the shot, and he knew it.

"Shinku Moko Takabisha!" A thick beam of bright blue light flashed out, crashing straight through the wire-guided weapon pods, smashing them to bits and vaporising the remains in a heartbeat. The sound of the twin explosions was drowned out by the whine and crackle of the beam discharging, a small shockwave rippling through the air of the darkened neighbourhood, making the falling snow flurry about the mostly-empty, battle-torn street.

"Wh-" unable to believe what she was seeing, the girl turned to her readout displays.

**INCOMS DESTROYED**

"What was tha~at?" Her shocked cry drowned out the bleating of her radar screen, that could have warned her of an object approaching at high-speed.

"Th-that was..." Kevin stared at the RX-78NT-1 as it landed in the street once more, or more accurately, the twin clouds of smoke and steam rising from what had been its weapons. "That was _awesome!_" He turned to look at Cologne. "Did you _see_ that?"

"I saw." Landing lightly beside the boy, the old woman sleeved her hands. "I also know the technique rather well." A small smile twisted Cologne's lips. "I believe reinforcements have arrived." _A new variation called 'Shinku' eh? Hardly a surprise though._

Switching to automatic-operating-mode, the remainder of the machine pack turned as one, internal radar arrays warning them of the approaching target. Ports snapped shut as depleted missile pods were detached, thudding against the street, the machines moving to intercept the new threat.

A dark red blur flashed through the machines, trailing snow as it moved at a blinding speed. Flashing around the trailing unit, it snatched the thing up, whirling it around, smashing it into the machine next to it, knocking that one aside as if it had been struck by a sledgehammer. The machine-turned improvised weapon was swiftly tossed away.

Undeterred, the remaining unit opened up with its beam rifle, pulses of bright pink light strobing as it targeted its attacker.

Moving without pause the blur darted back and forth, weaving between the energy beams like it was threading a needle. Rushing forward, the red blur plowed headlong into the machine, increasing its speed even more. "Kachuu Tenshin Amaguriken!" A rapid _crack-crack-crack-cra-cra-cracrcrcrcrcrrrrrr_ filled the air, as the individual blows swiftly blended together into a single, continuous sound of metal crumpling under the force of sheer impact speed.

In seconds, the shattered remains of one machine clattered to the ground, no longer recognizable as individual parts so much as a pile of metallic gravel.

The blur finally stopped, twisting on its heel as it resolved into a bipedal shape. Catching hold of the bright red chinese-style shirt it wore by the collar, the figure whipped it off, tossing it into the air. "First student of the Saotome branch of Anything Goes Martial Arts; Kanna of the Mirror stands forth!" Stark white hair hung about the little albino girl in a cloud, her grimy gi hanging lankly on her body, covered in grass stains.

It was still the _second_ most awe-inspiring sight Kevin had ever seen. _One waif army, awesome._

Urd wiped a rill of blood from the side of her head, barely feeling the painful throbbing in her skull over the sharp stabs of fear running through her. "I'm not finished yet!" Leaping back from another wild jab of the spear her opponent held, she pointed a pair of fingers at her attacker. "Urd Bolt!" A crackling arc of dull white lightning flashed out, striking the ground just to the side of the spearman who was still coming at her, despite slowing for a moment to avoid the attack. "Dammit! Hold still!"

Grinning, the spearman weaved back and forth, jabbing at the Goddess' face and chest with his weapon. "I refuse! Cu Chulainn obeys no mere woman!" His expression turned to one of shock, as a dark blur flashed into his line of sight, an instant before he was bodily flung aside like a toy.

"Y'mean the _imitation_ of Cu Chulainn obeys no mere woman but Hild, no?" The blur rippled for a few moments, before resolving into the familiar shape of the Goddess' strange guardian. "Yo, Urd. You really do suck at this, don't you?" Smirking, Mato raked a hand through his long tangle of red-stained hair, so disturbingly different from its normal shade of softened black.

Usually, Urd wouldn't have noticed such a thing, but she'd been spending a lot of time staring at the back of his head lately. _That stain keeps spreading, at this rate, there isn't going to _be _any more black left._ "Aw shut it." Brushing dust from her torn clothing, she let out a sigh. "I'm not going to thank you for this one either."

"Yeah yeah yeah, ungrateful, I know." Shaking his head, he turned, putting his back to the Goddess."Boy, there sure are a lot of 'em, ain't there?" Sighing, he crossed one arm over his belly, propping up the elbow of his other arm, hand cupping his cheek. Two fingers pressed against the soft flesh just under one eye, tugging down the lower lid a bit.

Putting her back against Mato's, Urd nodded. "I think Hild is calling in whatever favor she has with Chulainn to stop us." Frowning, she reflected for a moment. "You do know she promised him a second lifetime on earth if he stopped us, right?"

"Well, I do _now_." His focus was on the _dozens_ of identical copies of the man surrounding them. "The dupe-spam is a little irritating though, shouldn't one of him been enough? He's some sorta mythological hot-shot, right?"

Urd nodded again. "Irish folk hero." Crossing her arms under her breasts, she considered just what the mistress of Hell could have been thinking. "I'm wondering if these are just copies, or if she actually split him into multiple beings to overwhelm us."

"Yeah, me too." Closing his left eye, Mato pressed his fingers into the flesh beneath his right eye a little harder. _Well, this is a happy chance to bust out this old chestnut, and see if I can re-tune it to my body properly now. Last time I used it in a real fight, I was outta synch with it and nearly got my ass killed._ "Lemmie check." _'Course, it didn't work at all when I tried it with that fake crapstorm of a body, since it wasn't really mine. Not this time, though._

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Urd tilted her head a bit, glancing over her shoulder at the odd fellow. "Got an 'eye of insight' in your pocket?"

"Yeah." Blood trickled down over his fingers, flowing from his eyeball, staining the green iris a bright red. A series of small swirl-shaped marks, like a pair of black commas joined head-to-tip with a stylized white _S_ shape in between, appeared around the outer edge of the red stain. "I like to call it '_Sharingan_' for fun." _Futatsudomoe instead of Tomoe though. We'll see if making it my own will do better than just trying to imitate it._ The seven black and white marks swirled about his pupil for a moment, which had changed into a bright yellow dot the size of a pinprick.

"Wh-" Urd shivered, feeling a chill settle into her bones. _What is that? I can _feel_ reality coming apart at the seams. _"Th-this is-" And just like that, the feeling was gone. Gone, but with a lingering feeling of _wrongness_ about it. _It's like someone unlaced reality, then stitched it back up a different way. Something changed, I can tell that much. _"What did you just do?"

"Gave myself a tune-up." Drawing his fingers down his cheek, he painted a pair of sweeping lines onto his flesh with bright red blood. _Might as well go for the whole shebang, right? It can't really hurt to make this thing my own._ Tracing an angular outline of his eye with one finger, he swept the other across his eyebrow, leaving a stain of red that seemed to darken, despite the well-lit stone area they'd stumbled across a few minutes ago. _Eye of Horus. Always depicted by being the left eye, so I wonder what it says about me that I did it backwards? Oh geez, I just went and cursed myself, didn't I?_ Sighing, he flicked his hand out, droplets of blood flaring into bright flame for an instant before guttering out. _Typical._

All the while, the many spear-bearing men were taking the time to encircle the pair, weaving a net of men and weaponry around them that would be inescapable.

"Let's see now..." Turning his head to and fro, Mato glanced about the arena, the hieroglyph around his eye glimmering with a dark red glow, different from the stain in his hair, though no less disturbing. _Oh-ho-ho, now this is interesting._ Every single man surrounding him looked like a flat black flame to his new eye, as if it were a charcoal rendering on rice paper. "Well, either we're about to die because I'm a dumbass who screwed us over, or I can really see now."

"What?" Urd stared blankly as Mato turned his head enough for her to read the mark on his face. Urd was the Norn sister of the past; All of history was her domain. _All of it_. Long-gone cultures and languages came as easily to her as walking, even if she'd never seen or heard of them before. _That_ was what it meant to be a Goddess of a Norn's calibre. _That's Egyptian on his face. _The meaning of it was as plain as day to her, though some part of her wondered briefly if even Mato knew the significance of the particular meaning of the hieroglyph he'd written on himself.

There were seven different ways to draw the Eye of Horus; Mato had somehow chosen the most appropriate.

It was the one that meant 'One who Does'.

Serendipitous irony, really.

Not that she dwelled on that thought for more than a microsecond. "What do you see?" Urd looked back over the small sea of men surrounding them. No matter how she looked at them, they all looked the same: Very real, and very dangerous. She'd barely been able to wound two, and scratch three more before they'd gotten used to dodging her Urd Bolts.

"I see a good excuse for you to cast a spell that starts with 'Dis' and then make sure not to get sucked up into another fun technique."

"... What?"

Hanging his head, Mato let out an irritated sigh. "Look, just do it ok? You're so cramping my style here."

"Whatever." Rolling her eyes, Urd lifted a hand high above her head, the other pressed against her chest over her heart, feeling the warmth within, the core of her magical ability resonating with the latent magic in the air around her. Her own dual-nature was coming in handy, though she'd never admit it aloud; It was a bit of a secret shame that Urd was only half-Goddess.

The other half was Demon.

The air rippled as the Goddess, for that was the part of her nature she embraced, pulled forth mystical energy, spinning it out and about in a wide, rippling circle. It was simply magical potential, however, waiting for whatever the man against her back was going to do.

The man in question swept his hands around before him in a flowing gesture, a thin cocoon of blue light wrapped around him, and swiftly dropped to sub-zero temperatures. _Heh, for once I don't have to cover both temp requirements of this trick myself. These things are putting out enough hot battle aura for a good five shots if I needed that many._ "Hiryu~" His hands swept around again, tracing both the paths that the flow of the attack would take, as well as drawing in the magical potential the Goddess had unleashed, blending the flows of wind, and chi, and magic together. "Shoten~" A wicked grin swept back his lips as he snapped one fist into the air above his head, the other hand flicking out in a broad, sweeping gesture to direct the magical energy outward. "HA!"

There was a sudden silence that fell over the rough, granite arena, it only lasted an instant, before a hideous howling screamed out of every entrance, drowning out the brief cries of the magically-created copies of Cu Chulainn before they winked out of existence, taken apart at the folds and seams by the magic of a Goddess.

"Aaahhh, ain't two-fold attacks great?" The wind had died down in seconds once Mato had dropped his arms to his sides, sighing in approval at the havoc they'd wrought together. "Ok, so, now we go?"

Picking herself up off of the ground, Urd raked her hands through her dishevelled mane of hair. "Er... Right." She was starting to numb to everything by this point. After all, once you had a heap of weirdness, you stopped reacting to every single thing, and just started tossing new problems onto the top of the pile. "We'll probably have to deal with the _real_ Cu Chulainn at some point, we should be on our guard."

"Yeah, I know."

"Oh? How would you know that?"

"Because he's over there waving at us."

"... Right." Sighing, the Goddess mentally added a new one to the top of the pile.

"Oh, hey look. He's put tea on."

"... Right." And another was added to the pile.

"Uh, I think we're actually done here." Looking around, Kevin realised that aside from one RX-78 that was struggling to get up, there wasn't much left to fight. (Take care of that one, would you?)

(Hm, very well.) Slowly walking over to the struggling machine, Cologne took no small measure of pleasure in stomping down on the back of the machine's head, putting it out of commission. _That was for my kitchen._

"So, um..." Kevin had walked over to the small girl, feeling a little uncomfortable being around her, for some reason. _I dunno why, but it just feels weird._ ""Hi, I guess we haven't been properly introduced." Putting a bandaged hand to his chest, he bowed a little, lowering his head. "Kevin of the Devonshire clan, former self-styled Black Knight, currently a wandering Mage and Gunslinger." He lifted his head to make eye-contact once more, blue-grey eyes faintly shimmering with mystical energy, waiting to be tapped.

Kanna stared blankly back at the boy, the brief absorption of Ranma's personality had faded away a few seconds ago, leaving her as she was.

_Be polite, he's practically family to you._

Kanna flinched at the sound of the voice in her head once more. _Fam... Ily?_

_Well, y'know... If you think of Him as being the one who gave you life, and kept you safe and all... He did the same thing for this kid before you came along, so, in a way..._

Swallowing, Kanna felt a nervous shiver run through her chest. "I-I'm..." Reaching out suddenly, she lightly tapped Kevin's bare chest with a fingertip. A waft of blue-grey light flowed along her hand, up her arm, and vanished under her gi sleeve.

Blinking, Kevin tilted his head to the side. _That was different. What-_ A trickle of mana had leaked out of him at her touch, just a pinch really. Easing open his mystical reserves, Kevin pushed a bit into his eyes, very carefully shaping the weave in a crude imitation of an enhancement spell. He took it slow, being mindful of what had happened to his hands the last time he'd rushed, and forced too much mana into his body all at once. _She's an imitator. I can, haha, I can actually _see_ a bit of myself there in her heart. Weird._

Putting a hand to her chest, Kanna imitated Kevin's bow, lowering her head. "Kanna of the Mirror, former Void Demon of the feudal era, currently the first student of the Saotome branch of Anything Goes Martial Arts." Kanna's usually blank eyes held faint stains of Kevin's eye color. "Pleased to meet you at last, Brother."

"Er." Taken aback by the sudden declaration, Kevin felt his thoughts scatter for a moment. "Say what?"

"The one that binds my soul is the same as the one bound to your own." A small smile curved the corners of Kanna's mouth. "I've seen inside you once before, as you have me, remember? Ah, a-and..." The color suddenly drained from her eyes, leaving behind the stammering girl once more.

"Oh, well, I guess that's sorta true, isn't it?" Shrugging, Kevin straightened up once more. _I've already got a sister though. Er, well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to have another. It's not like she'd coat the inside of my boxers with icy-hot anytime soon, right?_ "So, um... Pleased to meet you too, squirt."

"S-squirt?" Confused, Kanna stared up at the western teenager.

"Bad nickname, huh?" Sighing, Kevin carefully folded his arms over his chest. "I guess I'll have to think up something better..." _This could take some time to come up with a good one._ "Well, how about-" Kevin broke off, startled into silence.

That tended to be a natural reaction, when a thirty-foot, ten-ton war machine was suddenly hulking over you, drawing back a huge fist as if it was going to smash you like a little bug.

"Back!" Kanna reacted in an instant, shoving Kevin a dozen feet to the side, her hand shimmering at the point of contact. "I've got this one!" Shoving up one of her gi sleeves, the tiny girl grimaced up at the machine. "I'll just-" She froze suddenly, startled. _Kevin uses magic to fight. I have no magical reserves to draw on to use his powers._ "Aw."

The titanic fist came forward in a rush, bearing down on the practically minuscule in comparison girl.

_Maybe it was stupid to think I could have a family._ At the last moment, Kanna threw up her arms to protect herself. There was a _crunch_ as the fist crashed into her, flinging her tiny body through there air at a fantastic speed, burying her in the side of a car parked on the street.

The street went deadly silent.

Feeling his throat lock, Kevin turned to look at where Kanna had been flung. All he could see was the car, folded in on itself like a paper crane. He slowly forced his head to continue turning. Where Cologne had been standing, there was nothing, though a little further on was a small, struggling body wrapped in tangled netting, anchored to the side of the Nekohanten. _Snared. At least she's still alive._ Turning back, Kevin stared blankly at the machine, as it hauled back its fist again. _Last time this happened, Mato came out of nowhere to save the day. But, he's in Hell._ Forcing himself to swallow, Kevin realised that he couldn't even breathe. _This... Doesn't... This isn't how I wanted to go out._

The massive metal fist moved forward and down, hurtling at the injured, half-naked boy standing in the street.

There was a loud crash, the sound of metal crashing drowned out everything, and a second later, the sound of pavement shattering.

"Wh- what the hell?" Kevin stared, unable to comprehend what he saw. "Th-there's no way."

The thirty-foot machine had been knocked clear down the street, and had plowed halfway through a small house.

In front of him, someone was standing in a small crater in the pavement, dressed in a bright yellow tunic, and black pants, wrapped from knee to ankle with red cord. A flash of yellow cloth was visible, though mostly-hidden beneath a mop of shaggy dark hair, wrapped around the person's brow.

Baring his fangs in a snarl, the mystery savior held up a clenched fist, his back to Kevin. "You _don't_ hit little kids, NOT WHEN I'M AROUND!" Driven into a berserker fury, flinging himself at the huge machine that was struggling to get up and shrug off the titanic blow that had smashed its shoulder plate into scrap, the long-awaited man finally had his chance.

Ryoga Hibiki had officially entered the war on Heaven.

Chapter end! Da da daaah!

I know I said the fight would conclude this chapter, but I decided to break it all up into two chapters. This way, you all get a slightly-longer chapter sooner, instead of an extra-big one later.

Good plan, right?

What? I'm a WHAT?

Nah, just kidding, I'm not a '''llshowyouit''''tyouit'''''''dappriciateitifyou'''titkindaoddhowI''''?

Phew... Good luck getting through that huge wall of text with your sanity intact. I _may_ have hidden an easter egg or two inside there, so if you do find it, please don't spoil it for everyone else, ok?

I mean, you wanna be one of the elite few who got it, right?

Anyway, um, I forgot what I was gonna say now...

Oh yeah!

I don't really dislike Ryoga much, to be honest. Back in the manga, when Ranma was weak, and everyone was attacking him, Ryoga _did_ show up to save him, the guy has his moments.

But it's just too damn tempting to make him the butt of jokes, much like Ranma. I mean, I've called Ranma 'stupid' at least five times in the space of like, two chapters back-to-back, didn't I?

I'd like to think that I made up for all the bad treatment of him with this single act. Well Ryoga fans? You tell me.

Review Reply time.

James Birdsong – Yay, thanks. Glad you approve.

Pryde Kitty – I dunno, do I _look_ like some sort of wish-granting machine? Er, do I? As an unexpected twist, I'm gonna actually answer a question properly.

Yeah, I know, it's not like me at all.

Quit faking heart-attacks already.

Skuld is doing the same thing as Local Dimension Urd is, following God's orders.

To be honest, that shouldn't have been much of a surprise at all.

Anyway, looks like you go another wish granted, here's another chapter. Glad you're enjoying the story, and _aren't_ all pissed-off at me... Anymore.

Anyway, that's another chapter over and done with. The next chapter will finish up everything that this one was supposed to, and then the story will continue on as it usually does.

... Whatever that means.

Until next time...


	22. Chapter 22

_Nerima's least reliable man arrives at last._

_What do you mean by that? Did you _see_ what he did to that thing? He's at _least_ as powerful as you were when we first met._ Veins full of adrenaline, Kevin felt giddy to just be alive. His eyes flitted back and forth between this new boy, who looked to be about his own age, and the Goddess-crafted war machine. Details and memory clashed after a few seconds, and the jaundiced eye of a boy who'd lived through near-literal hell saw the differences.

Ryoga had only smashed the machine's shoulder plate to scrap. Back then, Mato had caved in an entire arm, and shoulder, and a good third of its torso. It was hard to tell though, if the difference was due to individual strengths, or design in machines.

_Good eye, good insight. Skuld's kinda hard to measure, in terms of development, between dimensions. You never know what casual encounter, or over-heard saying will inspire her to do better. Good ally, worse enemy._

_Sk-Skuld? Really?_ Kevin was worried now. The faint grumbling he'd felt in the pit of his stomach made sense now, though it had been bothering since he'd first seen the machines pop up.

_Who else would it be? Really now._

_You're right, aren't you?_ Skuld was the only tinkerer Goddess that they knew of, and the designs made a crazy sort of sense, once that huge behemoth stepped into play. It looked disturbingly similar to Sin-Skuld's war mech, the one that had nearly crushed Kevin's sister and himself to death.

"Rrrraaaahh! Die already!"

Smash!

_...Maybe we should help him?_

_Nah, screw 'im. You've got another worry._

_What? Wh- AH! The kid!_ Kevin whirled about, table cloth flaring out around his waist. Kanna had taken a hideously powerful strike, how could he even forget that for a moment? _Where is she?_

_Over there. No, no, back th- to the left, LE- yes! Right there! The kid with the car wrapped around her!_

It only took Kevin a few seconds to make his way to the the compacted car, skidding, tripping, sliding on the snow-covered ground. _Oh man, oh man. This looks so stupidly bad from here. What do I do now?_ With his hands injured, Kevin was once again gut-punched by fate, it seemed. Because of his own actions, he couldn't do a thing to help.

He was as powerful as an average teenager.

Again.

_Now you step aside for a moment._

_Wh-what are y-_

Reaching down, Kevin jammed a bent elbow into the narrow gap that was formed by the body of the car wrapped around the little girl inside. "And a one, two, th_reeeee!_" The arm wedged into the small space unfolded, widening the gap with a squeal of protesting metal. "Man, you need to work out more. This is kind of a pain." Putting a bare heel to the widened gap, Kevin's slim body went to work again, leg and arm working together to uncurl the car's frame.

Inside was a bloody mess of stained cloth, and skin, and hair.

"Well, you look... Dead." Frowning, Kevin leaned down, putting his ear to the little girl's lips, listening intently. A thin wisp of air tickled his cheek. "But not all the way."

_So, how do we fix this?_

_Hmm?_

_Well, aren't you gonna heal her?_

_Can't._

_What? Why not?_

Kevin's eyes dropped down to fix on his ruined, bandaged hands.

_Oh... Right. You need to use your hands to heal other people. Well, why don't you fix them then?_

_If I do that Kevin, you're going to lose all the progress you made opening your channels when you wrecked them._

_Wh-_

_That's right. All that pain for no gain._

_But... I-_

_So, I can't._

_Wh- but... THE HELL YOU CAN'T!_

_Beh?_

_Don't gimmie that 'I can't do anything' crap! You're Mato! I don't care if you're a spirit-fragment or not! There's _nothing_ you can't do, once you've decided. Nothing!_

_'...'_

_Don't you '...' me! You fix my hands, and you save this kid's life, right. Frigging. Now._

_Eh heh..._

_Wh..._

_Eh heh heh heh..._

_Why're you-_

_AAAAHH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!_

_What's so damn funny?_

_Nothing, nothing, sorry... That just slipped out._

_What the hell man?_

_Ahh, sorry Kevin. I was just thinking that you're actually grown-up after all._

_Wh-_

_Not bad for a punk-ass squirt._

_You really do need to work on how you compliment people._

_Right._

_Seriously._

_You're not a joke of a Black Knight. You may not wear armor, shiny or otherwise, but you're still a real Hero kid, don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise._

_Wh-what?_

_Not even me, got that?_

_I-I-I-_

_Alright! Time to go all-out then! Brace yourself, I'm gonna try and keep as much of your growth intact as I can._ Kevin's body straightened up, his not-even-close-to-recovering-hands lifting up before his face. _This is going to hurt worse than anything you've ever felt in your entire life, and then some._

_Good. Everything else life throws at me should be tolerable then._

_Heh._

_Do it._

_'Kay._

_Why so glib all of a su- GYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAA-_

A fellow dressed all in blue, matching the shade of his short-cropped hair, and pony tail. Silver lines edged his clothing, though bright, they weren't nearly a match for the shining pauldrons on his shoulders. "Cu Chulainn."

The second fellow, dressed in a light-brown school uniform, with hair of a lighter shade of blue than his companion. "Shinji Matou."

Urd stared at the pair blankly, unable to comprehend exactly what was happening, as the four of them knelt around a small table in the middle of the arena. "... Urd."

"Mato Hibiki."

All three males had their arms crossed over their respective chests, though Chulainn and Mato both had their heads bowed, eyes drooped shut. Unlike the haughty expression on Shinji's face, the other two men looked utterly relaxed in the presence of another fierce fighter.

"Allow me to pour the tea then." Shinji reached out, pouring tea into each of the four cups in turn. "It's green tea." He smiled a cruel little smile, the sort of look that made one want to reach out and slap it off the person's face. "If you don't like it, you don't have to drink it."

Mato opened one eye, shooting the boy a look. His hand went to his cup at the same moment Chulainn's did. The two stared at one another for a moment, before lifting their cups and slowly tapping them together. "Kanpai." Both spoke as one, and sipped the tea quietly.

Urd could only stare at the pair, still unable to understand why all of this was going on.

Chulainn glanced at the Goddess. "Is there a problem?"

"You bet your ponytail there is!" Urd's hair bristled as she half-rose from her sitting position. "How can you two just sit there so calmly? Weren't we just battling to the death a minute ago?"

"Yes." Chulainn sipped at his tea again. "And?"

"And now you're both _drinking tea_?"

Mato arched an eyebrow, sniffing at the tea with a neutral expression on his face. "I've had worse and survived."

Chulainn chuckled under his breath.

Urd had reached her limits of absurdity long ago, she was far past exploding by this point. Even still, it was hard for her to stomach such behaviour. "How can you laugh like that?"

"Calm down. How can we be so calm?" Chulainn shrugged, sipping his tea again. "It should be natural for you to drink until dawn with someone you get along with, even if he may be your enemy." He glanced at Mato, lifting his cup again. "Right?"

Nodding, Mato sipped at his tea again. "Even if the tea-maker isn't too good at doing what he's trying to do."

Chulainn laughed, nearly spilling his tea. "Ha, well said."

Shinji glowered at the two, but for the most part, kept his eyes on Urd. "Your Servant doesn't seem to be the obedient type."

There was a faint pop, and a wisp of smoke drifted up from the top of Urd's head. She'd just blown a fuse. "Agh, men!" Grabbing her teacup, she chugged down the contents noisily. "Idiots!"

Rolling his eyes, Mato sipped his tea, glancing over the rim of his cup at the man in blue. "I take it you're not here by way of much choice then?"

Chulainn shrugged once more. "There are some offers that are too hard to refuse."

"Ah, that explains why you feel so... Wispy, then."

"Hm."

Shinji began chuckling. "Oh good, good. You seem like you'll be a useful Servant, with insight like that."

Giving the boy an irritated look, Mato blew into his tea, making it bubble a little, as if he was trying to drown out the sound of his voice.

"Nothing to say? Well, no matter." Shinji started to laugh, an unpleasant sort of laugh. "I really couldn't care less if you like me or not. A Servant's job isn't to do anything, save obey the Master." It was the kind of laugh someone let loose when they had played a particularly nasty joke on someone else.

"I've no master kid, not even myself." Mato drained the last of his tea from his cup, rolling his tongue around in his mouth after swallowing, his throat convulsing a bit.

"You say that now, but after all's said and done, I'll be your new Master." Shinji continued to laugh, very pleased with himself by this point. "You should be feeling it soon."

Chulainn shot Shinji a look. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"He means he poisoned the tea." Mato's throat looked like it was rippling, it was a disturbing sight to behold.

The shocked look on Chulainn's face clearly revealed that he had no idea of the plot. In fact, the mere _thought_ of such a cowardly act stunned him for a moment. Disgust quickly followed.

Shinji had gone silent at the proclamation. Nothing shut up a git like that, faster than letting them know they hadn't fooled their mark for a moment. "Wh- how could... It doesn't matter!" Oh, but he was mad. "You're weak enough now to easily beat, the poison-"

Mato hocked loudly, turning his head to spit out a glob of dark violet goo. There was a soft _splat_, as the thick fluid hit the arena floor, smearing out a short ways on the cold stone ground. "Y'mean that poison?"

Shinji could only stare, aghast, at the dark smear on the ground, all that remained of his plan.

"I _did_ tell you I've survived worse." Smiling impishly, Mato set the empty cup down on the table.

Chulainn let out a bark of laughter. "It seems I was worried for nothing." Setting down his own cup on the table, he kept his fingers curled around it. "I'll get my fight after all."

"Why wouldn't you?" Mato shrugged. "I just don't understand why you're hangin' around with this dork in the first place."

"Ah, well..." Chulainn ignored how Shinji was sputtering incoherently. "That's part of the deal. You see-" Breaking off, Chulainn stared at Urd. "Are you alright?"

Urd had gone deathly pale, which was saying a lot, considering her normally dusky skin tone. Her breath came in short, shallow sips, as if she was struggling to move her lungs. Sweat pricked her brow here and there, small beads of it slowly running down her cheeks.

"Ah crap, Urd!" Mato reached over, carefully laying the stricken Goddess down on the floor. "Dammit, how could you not realise the little turd had poisoned the tea?" He put a hand to her brow. _Cold, that can't be good._ "Alright you little wad, you must have one... Gimmie the antidote."

Chulainn's teacup crushed between his fingers. He'd thought Shinji had only poisoned the Servant brawler's cup, not the Master's too. _This is unforgivable. A battle is supposed to be between Servants._

"You mean this antidote?" Shinji smiled, wagging a little glass vial at Mato, full of a thin yellow fluid. "I'm afraid I don't get what I want unless I stop you both, and if she dies, I'm halfway to m- eh?" Shinji stared at where the vial had been, as well as his index and middle fingers. For some reason, there was only a pair of stumps where they'd been, and his hand was empty. "What."

Cu Chulainn was on his feet in an instant, kicking aside the table, whipping his spear around in a broad arc to drive the changed man back. _This isn't what he looked like a minute ago. _The Lancer-Class Servant plied his speartip about, weaving a glittering net of sharp metal in the air, that somehow didn't widen the distance between the two men even an inch. _It looks like a... Warp spasm._ He ignored Shinji's belated cries of fear and pain; He needed to concentrate on his changed foe.

A long mane of bright red hair trailed down to Mato's waist, shot with lines of stark white. His fingers were tipped with short claws, one hand stained red with blood, Shinji's blood. Baleful yellow eyes locked onto not Chulainn's weapon, but his face. He was staring the Servant down, his arms moving of their own accord, as they batted away the speartip every time it dared come close enough for him to touch.

It was a stalemate. For the moment.

"Kill him! Kill him!" Shinji's shrill shrieks rose above the din of battle, echoing in the empty colosseum."Use your Phantasm! Kill him, cut him to bits! To _pieces!_" Clutching at the stumps of his amputated fingers, the human's voice continued to grow more shrill as he yelled.

"Just shut up!" Stepping backward, Chulainn frowned as the space between himself and his opponent didn't widen. Doubling his efforts, he leaped back, widening the narrow gap enough for him to put muscle behind his spearshaft. "Gae Bolg!" The spear glinted as he thrust it forward as hard as he could, the Noble Phantasm glittering in the dim light of the underworld.

Chulainn smiled inwardly as he watched the tip bend and distort, the haft of the spear following suit as it weaved between the man's arms, avoiding his efforts to defend against it. Gae Bolg couldn't be blocked once he called out its name; That was its power. It turned cause and effect on its head until the desired result came out.

It would never be blocked, it would always strike his foe in the heart.

Blood spattered to the ground, as Mato grimaced in pain. The spear sliced neatly through his flesh.

Chulainn gasped as the man continued coming at him, even before reality could settle with itself, and the haft of the spear could straighten out. Flashes of light danced before his eyes, as his breath left him, his chest compressing in an instant, crushing, crumpling, tearing under the force of the blow.

Mato growled, a deep, animal sound crawling from his throat. Arm buried to the elbow in the Servant's chest, he swept out his free arm, catching the glass vial as it tumbled ground-ward.

"Im-impossible." Droplets of blood flew from Chulainn's lips, and he suddenly regretted being so resilient. Having a lung smashed would have killed a normal man from shock, without a doubt, but Chulainn could still fight on. He would have, if the arm of his opponent wasn't spitting him like a boar. "Gae Bolg... Chooses reality." A cough racked him for a moment, and blood and spittle flew. For a brief moment, it was easier to breathe. "It should have pierced your heart."

Frowning, Mato stared at the vial in his hand for a moment, then tucked it into his long mane of hair. "You're assuming there exists a reality where you could actually do more than scratch me. _There isn't._"

Staring for a moment, Chulainn gripped the man's arm with his empty hand, clutching his spear tightly. He had watched it bend to strike at the man's heart, he knew it to be true. Somehow, the man had brushed it up at the last instant with a sweep of his hand, and though the spear had veered quickly, it just wasn't fast enough to keep up with him. What was this man, who lived beyond the reality of Cu Chulainn's Noble Phantasm? "Not... Yet." Pulling on the man's arm, Chulainn tried to move away.

Tilting his head, Mato wrenched his arm free of the former Servant's chest. "I'll be amazed if you last five seconds." Shaking the blood from his arm, he held up his fists before his face, staring between them at Chulainn's face.

"Ten, at least." Holding the gaping hole in his body with one hand, he lunged forward, jabbing with his spear. "At least ten!" Despite the mortal wound, Chulainn was fast, just as fast as he was before. His lance darted out, five, nine, a dozen times, swift and sure. He wanted this; A fight with a skilled foe. _This_ was what he'd lived for, so very long ago.

Gae Bolg hissed softly through the air, slicing and jabbing, faster and faster. The thrill of the battle filling him, even as his blood trickled away, flowing to the ground. in spite of the wound, Chulainn moved faster still, as if afraid the he would die, and the battle would come to an end. _I wish... I wish I could fight this fight forever._ "GAE B-"

Mato's hands swept down, out, and up. "No." Swatting the spearhead upward as it receded, he caught hold of the haft, twirling it back over his shoulder. His body lowered for an instant, and the spearhead flicked up, catching Chulainn in the fleshy hollow of the lower jaw, punching a neat hole through the top of his head. "But nice try."

Transfixed, Chulainn managed a feeble, delighted smile. Somehow, he felt _satisfied_. The blue-clad man of an age long past faded away in a splash of light, leaving behind a few motes of glittering sapphire that danced about, before winking out.

Smiling, Mato watched the display. The fight had been... Fun. "So long, spear man." Chulainn had been one of the few people he'd met that actually understood the way he felt, at least when it came to a good fight.

It was the kind of fight that neither side held any malice toward the other. Almost... Pure.

There was a thump, as Shinji's legs failed him. Kneeling on the ground, he gagged and sputtered at the sight of his hopes of winning vanishing into thin air. "N-no... No no NO! No! You were supposed to die! I was supposed to live! I sold my soul to kill you both!"

Head snapping around, Demon-Mato's eyes bored into Shinji's skull, as if he could root around in the little simpering teenager's brains and drag out what he wanted.

But he already knew everything.

And he didn't care. "So, I'm not gonna kill you." He was in two places at once, somehow standing still, yet at Shinji's side. Sweeps of colorless motion flashed across the teenager's body, bright splurts of blood flying to the air in a mist of faint red.

Shinji shrieked in pain.

"I am however, gonna make you regret this." Mato _smiled._

Searing agony cut into the boy's very bones, and he let out a drawn-out wail of pain. His body failed him again, going utterly limp, like a puppet with cut strings. "Wh... What are you doing to me?" The tried to struggle, tried to move. He couldn't.

"Oh, just slashing your tendons and cauterizing the cuts." Smiling cheerfully, Mato grabbed the boy by the collar and flung him into the air, tossing him at the granite wall a few dozen yards away. "Now, to keep you safe. _**Infernal Bakusai Tenketsu; Penitent Prison of Cruel Mercy!**_" One hand slapped against the ground, and the solid stone s_hivered_.

The wall behind Shinji softened, opening up like a flower to gently break his fall. It curled about him like a lover's embrace, soft and gentle, holding him close on all sides. Unable to move anything below his chin, his pale flesh criss-crossed with long slices sealed shut with skin burned nearly to ash, Shinji could only scream, desperately, terrified.

"Oh, don't worry." Again, somehow, the man was standing in two places. The one figure that hadn't moved faded away after a moment, and the one closest to the boy smiled, elbow resting against the wall, fist propped against his cheek. "This wall's pretty sturdy, and you won't bleed to death either." The smile was icy, without any trace of mirth at all. "No infection; Nothing lives down here. No need to eat in Hell... After all, you're not really alive, are you?" Those horrible yellow eyes glittered. "You don't heal in Hell, not until you 'die'. And since you don't need to eat, you'll be safe, in this wall... For a _very long time._"

As the somehow liquid stone crept up his jaw, flowing over his lips, Shinji let out a terrified whimper. Flowing around his nose, it crept onward, covering his eyes, then his head. The granite continued to pull him in deeper, further into the dark. Shinji could only think a single thought; _You didn't need to breathe in Hell, either._

Chapter end!

Pfff... Wow, this just in, apparently ff dot net deciDed to edit my block 'o text to a line of babble and some quote marks. Once again, I am forever stymied by the cludgyness of what should be a simple design fix.

Egh... That means you all lost out oN a chance to find some easter eggs.

Rrr.. What a shame, oh well. Sigh sigh, sArdonic smile, shake my head and wonder why.

Fleh... Now that I think about it, fRom the point Ukyo vanished, is the point where everything took a downturn. I'm thinking that the more I write this story, the more you all are going to dislike it.

If 'Be Careful What You Wish For' was a story that made you lovE it more and more the longer it went on, then this story is the same story, run in reverse.

Doesn't thaT sound depressing?

Y'know, I wonder tHen, when the mirror dEcided to divide the two?

I wonder, having realised what efFect this story is going to have, if a sequel is going to be out of the question now... Hmm...

Sad thought, there.

Ah, of course, I'm only saying thIs because I know how it's going to end. That sounds rather foreboding, doesn't it?

Dun dun dun.

Nyahaha, mwahaha... Ha... Yeah.

End of Easter Egg. Evil smiRking time now. Remember, don't spoil it in a review if ya find it. I took pains to hide this one in a way that _something_, won't remove it. I'll bet it made me sound a little stupid though.

Anyway, I think we're finally starting to near the end of the story now. I'm not gonna gueSs at how many more chapters are lefT, since my stories always tend to write themselves as long as they want to. I've found they turn out better too, if I don't intentionally set a hard limit on them.

I wonder if you'd call that 'oRganic writing'?

Blah, whatever. Review reply time!

James Birdsong – Well, what can I say? They can't all be winners, right? Could be worse, people could hate it.

Malimar – Glad you liked what you've read so far.

luger 7 – Well, you might want to read the first story then, if you find this one confusing. It's kind of like watching 'The Empire Strikes Back' before 'A New Hope', isn't it? Otherwise, you're gonna end up wondering who that 'Duke Skywalk' guy is...

Ha ha, I crack me up, with my lame jokes.

Pryde Kitty – Yay, a glowing review that doesn't end with 'or else I'm gonna get you'. Eh heh.

If there's one thing I deliver, it's apparently crazy-awesome battles. I wonder if I can get a job with that on the resume?

Also, don't taunt Ryogas. The poor bastards already suffer enough, don't they?

Also lastly, to counter your 'lastly' with my own, here is the next chapter. I can't promise that it's 'super awesome', because I'm pretty biased on my own work.

And by that, I meAn I think I'm a haCk, most of the time.

Yeah...

Thanks for the nice review though, I'm glad I'm keeping at least some of my fans happy... Though you should really go see a doctor for a shot if you're rabid...

Er, anyway, that's it for reviews as of this chapter's finishing.

For those of you who neEd a little more info, and so some people don't badger me with questions, when they could just use a quick shot of google, and because they can't spot a reference...

Shinji and Cu Chulainn are both from the epic visual novel Fate/Stay Night.

In case a certain website messes with that, it's 'Fate' slash mark 'Stay Night'.

If you don't want any spoilers, then don't read this next little section, you have been warned.

Though, by calling Cu Chulainn 'Lancer class Servant' I guess I've already spoiled a bit, no? Anyway, this is clearly post-fifth Grail War, as Shinji is quite clearly, clearly dead. Sure, it's not really possible to summon a Servant to the world without a Grail to support it, but since when is the Mistress of Hell limited by mere mortal rules? It should also be assumed, in case you didn't already, that Shinji sold his soul to Hild for another shot at life.

He sure blew that one.

Could this possibly be setting up something else in future chapters? Who the hell knows.

Spoilers end here, I guess.

Well, anyway, that's all for now, I suppose. One more chapter down, a few more to go.

...Ah ha ha, I said Shinji fails at life. I just got that one.

Until next time.


	23. Chapter 23

"Ok, wow..." Kevin slowly picked himself up off of the ground, wiping dirt from the tip of his nose. "That hurt more than anything in the history of ever." The back of his hand scrubbed at his lips, and he made spitting noises. "Oh blargh, doesn't anyone ever ever sweep out this place?"

Silence was the only reply.

"Uhhh..." Looking around, Kevin noted a distinct lack of snow, and buildings.

And a suspicious abundance of huge shelves filled with books, tall columns, and sweeping arches. All of it, save for the books, was constructed out of precisely-cut marble. Glitters of white, and gold, and ebony were sprinkled here and there, and massive hulks of cloud-shaped marble hung in the sky far above.

"Ok, wow, again..." Looking around for the second time, Kevin brushed his hands off on his chest. "...Er." A quick glance down at himself confirmed that, yes, his hands were perfectly fine. "Huh, bandages are gone, and I'm in a weird place." He looked back up, watching a hunk of marble the shape of a blocky cloud slowly drift overhead. "... A very trippy place."

There wasn't a hint of wind, nor any scent in the air. It was still, and quiet, and utterly devoid of life.

"So weird, I wonder..." Holding his breath, Kevin examined himself. Instead of bare skin, he wore an open-fronted robe of brown, its hem cut a half-inch above the ground. Beneath the robe, he wore a bright white t-shirt, practically _glowing_ it was so clean, a pair of brand-new blue jeans, and red tennis shoes. Tilting his head to the side, he put a hand to his throat, feeling around at his neck.

After a little while, he let his breath out, frowning. "Well, I guess I don't need to breathe here, wherever _here_ actually is." Kevin slowly walked over to one of the nearby book shelves, stepping carefully, _quietly_. "Of course, I couldn't find a _pulse_ either, so maybe I'm dead?" He shook his head, reaching out for one of the books. "Nah, there'd be a better soundtrack if I was in Heaven, I'm sure."

Picking up one of the thick, hard-bound books, Kevin turned it over in his hands, glancing at the title. "...Uhhh..." After a moment or two of staring, he opened the book to a random page. "The proper application of muscular tension can increase sensations in various areas, depending on the location of the stimulus, level of tension, and position and posture of the body. For example, if one were to spread-"

"Yeah, no. I don't think we need to go over that gag again."

"Gah!" Slamming the book shut, Kevin whirled about, clutching the volume to his chest. "I wasn't looking!"

"Su~ure you weren't." Smirking, Mato sat atop a column, legs crossed, arms folded over his chest. "So, why don't you put that back, while you explain to me just what you think you're doing in here?"

"Uh, well." Kevin tucked the book back into its space on the shelf, moving toward the column Mato was sitting upon. "This is my soul, isn't it? Shouldn't I be in here?"

"Now that's a funny notion. Why would you think something like that?" Mato freed one arm to rest his chin on his fist, staring down at the teenager. "Nice outfit, by the way."

"Thanks." Kevin cleared his throat, brushing his outfit down with his hands. "Well, you healed my hands and brought me in here, didn't you?"

"Well, yes and no." Leaning over Kevin's shoulder, Mato grinned, slinging an arm around the teen.

"Uuuuhhh..." Staring blankly for several seconds, Kevin glanced back up at the column, and the _other_ Mato still sitting there. "Ok... Creepy..."

"Not so much, if you think about how it works." Sighing, column-Mato shook his head. "One of us is bound to your soul, and one of us _isn't_. Now think _really hard_ and try to figure out which is which."

Kevin squeezed his eyes shut for a few seconds. "My head hurts, and you're both jerks."

"Good answer." Column-Mato turned his head to the side, glancing away at something. "I can't really do much with a broken body, not the way it's wired... So, if you wanna do something about the problem, it's probably best you reflect on just what that means."

"Um... 'Kay?" Scratching his forehead, Kevin wasn't sure he quite got the message. "I'll, um... Ask you more about that." He turned, and started walking in the direction the column-sitter had looked. "But I'll do it over there, so my head doesn't pop from trying to deal with _two_ of you guys."

"Another good answer." Shrugging his shoulders, Mato flopped onto his back with a sigh. "I'll be waiting here once you're finished. Keep in mind just how fast brain-transmission speeds work, would you?"

"Um, yeah." Walking for a bit in silence, Kevin eventually turned to look at the Mato walking with him, arm still slung about his shoulders. "So, does this mean we're in _his _soul then?" Wiggling his fingers a few times, he picked at the shining shirt he wore. "And then we're in that girl's head too?"

"Good guess." Mato shrugged a shoulder, walking along with the teenager. "You kinda passed out for a second there, when I went to work on your hands. So, I just went ahead and linked us up to figure out what the problem was."

"...So, the reason why we're both wearing Jedi cloaks is...?"

"Because you're a geek, and a linked soul tends to reflect the soul it's bound to after a long time." Mato fussed with the robe he wore with his free hand, his long dark hair unbound from its normal braid bindings.

"That explains the different haircut, and why you're less of a jerk than you used to be." Smiling, Kevin refrained from making any more observations for the time being. "So... Where's that girl then?"

"I'm guessing that's her up there, the one who's crucified and dangling from those chains."

"... Gah..." Kevin stared in mild shock.

Up ahead, suspended from one of the drifting stone clouds, was a very pale girl. Bound in chains about her limbs and body to the point that only her fingertips, toes, and head from the chin up were visible. What flesh one would normally see in between the links of the chains was covered in thick, sticky, dark red blood.

The girl looked broken, and nearly dead.

Which, in a way, was fitting, since she nearly was.

_**More power...**_

"Eh?" Kevin looked about, distracted. _That was a weird thing to think, wasn't it?_

_**If only I had more power...**_

Frowning, Kevin began rolling up one sleeve. _Nah, strike that. I'm not the kinda person who ever thinks about power. _He couldn't tell where the voice was coming from, but then, he wasn't in the real world, so maybe hearing wasn't the best way to find the source.

_**I could do anything... I could have saved her... Every... One...**_

Mato quietly slunk away from the teen, circling around the crucified form of the suspended girl to sit behind her. Flicking the hem of his robe out, he crossed his arms over his chest, simply waiting.

_I guess that's his way of telling me that it's my fight now... Super._ Cuffing the other sleeve, Kevin began walking closer to Kanna, flexing his fingers slowly._ I'm not limited by anything in here, I know that. For _once_, the only limits I have is my own will to fight._ Drawing in a shaky breath he didn't need to actually take, the boy could feel something rattle in his chest, tightening up as he drew nearer the girl, and the odd not-voice.

A figure hazed into being, as if merely a mirage on a desert road. Shrouded in a white cloak, pale hands extended from the featureless cloth that wrapped it, beaconing the boy closer. "**Come here... I can give you too, what you desire.**"

"What I... Desire?" Kevin could feel the sensation in his chest rattle harder, banging around in the confines of his body, being squeezed tighter, the closer he got to the... Whatever it was. "What is it... That I desire?" The voice was, compelling.

Enticing.

"**I can give you that power you craved, the power to surpass those above you.**" The ivory hands beaconed again, inviting the boy in, matching the pleasant, deep voice as it continued on. "**To rise above them, all of them, that is what you want.**"

He'd already halved the distance, not consciously feeling the movement of his feet. "Power... To be above everyone?"

"**The power you always deserved. Never again will you need to look up to those around you, or be dwarfed by their strength.**"

Kevin was so close, he could almost reach out and touch the man. The rattling thing in his chest was almost humming now, it was vibrating around so hard, as if it were trying to burst out of him. "Never look up? At anyone around me?"

Behind the cloaked man, something moved, indistinct, barely visible at all.

Behind the girl.

"**Never. You will be above all. You will be the pinnacle, the peak, the absolute.**" Those pale hands reached out, as if to embrace the boy's shoulders, the voice droning on smoothly. "**You will never want for anything, ever again.**"

"Then... If I'm at the top..."

"**Yes.**"

"... I'll never be able to grow..."

"**You will have no need of growth.**"

"Then... Then if I stop growing... Stop moving forward..."

"**You will have reached the end. Forward will be meaningless.**"

"... The end... I'll stop... And I'll never..." The thing in Kevin's chest cried out, and suddenly burst. Crushed by the tightness, black, inky darkness gushed out.

"**You will-**"

"Fall behind." The blackness in his chest flared up, shrieking, burning away. There was nothing left but the tightness, the feeling in his chest...

He was _excited_.

"I'll _never_ stop moving forward... If I stop, even for a second, I'll lose sight of _him,_ and I'll never catch up!" He could feel it, feel the tightness in his chest, like a piano wire tightened to the point that it sang if you breathed on it. "And I can't stop until I reach that man!" The air, if one could even imagine air being in that sort of place, flickered, hummed, and shone. Tiny sparks, pinpoints of blue light danced about him, growing thicker by the moment, until a cloud of fireflies seemed to whirl around him.

"**Stop, stop resisting. I can give you what you crave.**"

"You can't give me anything, can you?" Kevin could feel it around him now, warmth, and movement. Everything swirled around him, as if the strength in him had somehow pushed outside, _leaked_ outside, and now it was moving him, making him feel lighter, stronger. "You can only take what I've got, if I let you."

"**I can give you everything you wish, all the power you crave-**"

"Just what's inside me, right?" _This is it, isn't it? The feeling, just like when he moved my body back then. The same kind of thing the kid does too, this... _"You're just here to prey on people in their weakest moment, right? Right?" _It feels so different from mana._

"**Hmph, I give frail mortals, and lesser Demons their fondest, greatest wishes.**"

"The false promise of power?"

"**The gift of ultimate power.**"

"By becoming a slave?"

"**By becoming one with Naraku.**"

Kevin tilted his body to the side, curious. "Izzat what you were waiting for?"

"Yup."

"**What are you doing?**" The cloaked man turned, following Kevin's gaze. "**Who are-**"

"Yo." Mato waved a hand, still seated behind Kanna's suspended form, a hand curled about one of the chains dangling from her body. "Kinda sucks to have your plans screwed with, dudn't?"

"**You dare interfere with me?**"

"Naaah, I'm just keeping you from leaching out her soul. Just consider me the 'South Pole' in here." Smiling impishly, Mato rolled the chain about his hand twice, holding it casually, as it were a leash.

"**And you think you can defy me?**"

"Wow, you don't get it." Kevin lifted up his hands, holding them out before his chest. _This is my chance, finally._ "You're not in the real world, you're inside a soul." _I finally get to try and do this myself._ "You're inside someone else's domain, and you're right now sitting smack dab between the two most powerful beings in here."

"**You believe yourself to be more powerful than I?**"

"What? I dunno, maybe?" _Now what? Feel it out. How am I supposed to do that? Just hold out my hands and- no. There's more to it than that. What am I missing?_ "All I know is that you're only taking offence from one-half of your worst nightmare in here." _Sparkly lights, feeling of power... No, no. I'm missing something obvious._

"**Perhaps if I crush you, this 'powerful half' will make itself manifest for my amusement then?**" One of those ivory-hands reached out, swiftly moving for Kevin's throat. The intent of such a gesture was very clear.

The swarm of lights began to flicker out, dimming out as the hand drew close, blue pinpricks slowly began to be replaced by dots of yellow._ Uh-oh, this isn't- OH!_ The blue lights returned, glowing brighter and brighter, whirling and twinkling about him like a hurricane of stars, a miniature galaxy of power dancing about him, just waiting for... Something. _I've gotta feel it, right? I think I know just what that feeling is too._ "Y'know what I've got to say to your chump-ass?"

That stark-white hand closed about the boy's brightly shimmering shirt, fisting the cloth and holding him fast, the cloak around the man boiling. "**And what is that?**" The cloak burst out in places, muddy brown tendrils rushing out through the newly-made holes, arching out around himself and the boy's body.

Mato lightly tugged at the chain suddenly, just a tiny pull.

And something stirred.

"Something I've waited forever to say..." He could feel it now, that dazzling swarm of light began to closely knit itself together around his body, wrapping him in an envelope of... Of... _Oh man, this feels..._ "Moko Takabisha!" _GREAT!_

"**Wh-**"

In an instant, that envelope of sparks, woven together became a solid cocoon of pure energy, filling him with feeling of raw confidence. It was like the word 'victory' made manifest, holding him up. He could feel every inch of his body hum and burn, demanding to be put in motion. Between his fingers, a baseball-sized orb of bright blue flashed into being, hovering there for a second, before rocketing all of three feet, and smashing into the chest of the cloaked man. In a heartbeat, the cloaked man was driven back, knocked clean off his feet by the tiny sphere, sending fragments of shredded, blackened cloth and bits of muddy flesh into the air.

The man-thing was up on his feet after bouncing and skidding for several dozen yards across the marble ground. He didn't seem too happy with what had just happened to him, either.

"Haaa... I finally did it..." The light had vanished, and with it, the feeling of sheer confidence. The feeling of utter invincibility. _Man, that was such a rush. That's what it feels like to kick ass like that all the time?_ "Don't think I've quite got it down yet though... Took a lot outta me... Felt so different than I remember it. And blue, instead of yellow." Kevin stared at his hands, almost unable the believe he'd done something like that himself. "Different words, too."

The man, a fragment really, of an unimportant being from a far-off dimension, rose up, muddy tendrils whirling furiously around him. "**You insignificant thing, you think I will allow you to continue to exist after such an offense?**"

Ignoring the bit of useless, leftover-hate, Kevin lifted his hands up a little higher, staring at them, and between his fingers at the 'world' around him through them. "I can't believe I can do that now. I can do that now, right?" A reckless, almost hysterical look flashed over his face. "Oh man, so much potential. I've gotta find someone who can tutor me in this stuff too now? My world just keeps getting bigger and bigger."

"**You WORM! You dare ignore me?**" The tendrils massed up, growing thicker, and more numerous as they rose into the air, becoming like a forest of redwoods, flailing about in displeasure. "**I will crush you into nothingness! Not even ashes will remain!**"

Kevin ignored the noise. _All sound and fury, nothing else. He... Feels smaller now. Wow, did I just suddenly grow a little?_ "There's always so much more to learn... I've gotta see a good one up close though." Grinning widly, Kevin dropped his hands to his sides, clenching them into tight fists. He could feel that tight sensation in his chest again, a warm core of confidence he'd never more than half-felt before. _This is who I've always been inside? I'm actually brave? Ha ha... HAHAHAHAHAAAAA! I'm _not_ a Black Knight after all! _"Alright! Show me what you've got then! I wanna see it ALL! Right NOW!"

"**You are barely worth a tenth of my mi-**"

"I wasn't talking to _you_, you tool." Still wearing that wild, excited grin, Kevin pointed a finger, body trembling. "And don't hold back, I'll know if you do!"

"**What are y-**"

Somewhere behind the man, the sound of creaking metal came. The faint clatter of chain links barely rose over the sound that suddenly became a shriek of distressed steel, and instant before a shattering din drowned everything out. Bits of grey metal, and marble flew in all directions.

"**Wh-**" The man barely had time to turn to see a thin figure drop to the ground next to him.

And a man in a brown cloak giving him a nasty smirk. "Oops? Wasn't me this time, I just shook it."

A flash of red-stained, grimy white cloth and matted, lank hair was all that was visible. Then it was gone, and a thin, waif-like figure was standing before the mass of brown, writhing tendrils. A pair of slender hands pressed against the front of the tattered, charred cloak. "I'm not your tool any more." The girl's eyes glowed, pinpricks of green dancing within pools of liquid amethyst, matching the swirling aura of purple light that wrapped about her little body.

"**Kanna, you are nothing but a toy, I can discard at a whim.**"

"Not any more." Jags and flashes of bright blue washed around the girl's hands, wrapping them like ribbons of raw energy, so intense and pure it was almost stark white. "I'm a person now." A high-pitched keen started, making the air shiver and distort around those bands of light. _I am..._ "Chou Moku Takabisha."

There was no flash. There was no build-up. No dazzling display of light, or sound, or color. There was just silence. Raw, empty silence. Where the girl and the thing that had once been her maker had stood, there was just empty space. In truth, it was a distorted mirage. A shockwave had formed, so thick, it gave the illusion of there being nothing there. Then the boom hit, a tearing, clawing _force_ that cracked and peeled away at the marble ground.

Shrapnel sprayed in all directions, most of it near-vaporised slag, pounded, pulverized by the attack. Attack, perhaps only it name. It was more akin to unmaking, than destruction. Darkness, muddy and thick, sprayed up, washing out across everything for a moment, before drawing back in, crashing down on the girl. Engulfing her, burying her, blotting her out.

After a moment, the sludge curled up into smoke, and washed away, hazing out to nothing. Leaving behind a girl.

A girl with snowy white hair. A girl with shimmering purple eyes. A girl dressed in black pants, and a red, sleeveless top. "... I am Kanna..." She clenched her hands into fists, holding them low at her sides. "First student of the Saotome branch of Anything Goes Martial Arts." She paused, taking a breath, feeling _whole_, for the first time in her life. "And Mato brought me here."

"Oh! You _totally_ can't do that again in the real world though!"

"... Shut up, I can too."

And chapter end.

I swear, if anyone complains about the lack of purple prose in that chapter... I used up the whole tank! I think I ran right out of ways to describe 'glowing' or 'shining' or 'shimmering' for the rest of the story. Geez.

Yes, Kevin used Ranma's attack, not Mato's, I know. He's just not the type to focus on dark thoughts like that when he's fighting. I realised it just as I was writing the attack. Funny how stories sometimes write themselves, isn't it?

Anyway, trippy chapter aside, I think I've just about finished all the symbolic stuff for the story. All that's left is to resolve everything... Dun dun dun?

Originally, Mato was going to do more, even give Kevin something to use in the fight, but it really would have just bogged the chapter down with yapping explaining it, and in the end it wasn't really needed story-wise.

...Frankly, I worry that this chapter went wa~ay over the top...

Blah, I'll worry about it when the hate mail piles in.

Review reply time.

Pryde Kitty- Wow, you're kind of a hot-blooded reader, aren't you? You _probably_ liked this chapter then, I guess... Maybe? Yes, I'm teasing, sorry. And worry not, I plan on revealing just exactly what makes Mato, well, Mato, really, by the end of the story.

And you thought I was gonna kill off Kanna? I guess I might have taken the 'Joss Whedon' school of thought a little too far then... _Her_ I never planned on killing off. I guess it was my talk about not making that sequel with her in it that brought on all the worry? I just wasn't sure if any of my readers would be interested in it.

Sooo... False alarm?

luger 7- Glad you like it. Did I kick-start your heart?

Ba-dum-dum-tish!

Anyway, that's it for now. Next chapter, there's still a giant robot war machine to deal with, and... Didn't Urd get poisoned? Geez, problems just keep piling up, and the war's barely even started.

Until next time.


	24. Chapter 24

_Author's warning; Take breaks reading this one, it's very long, and emotional fatigue could set in. You'll see what I mean at the end._

She'd felt it; A pulse.

Something was there, something alive.

But that couldn't be, she was alone. Nothing was alive here, not even her. It was a void, inky, black, silent and dark. She could barely even feel the chains about her, keeping her suspended, shackled, imprisoned. Not even the pounds of metal around her body had made a noise, when she'd first struggled against her bonds.

Perhaps this was her punishment, for believing she could actually consider herself a person. A thing could never aspire to be a person. Dirt could never become a bird. Sand could not become the wind. Rock could never become the sky.

Why then, did it feel like something was pulling against her?

Drowning in that soundless, sightless void, there was feeling.

The feeling that something small was pulling at her. The sound, so far away, of a voice. It was different from the pulling, she knew that. One was... Irritating, annoying. The other, it was...

Bright, somehow.

Hopeful.

Hope, that's what it was. Even if she couldn't see it, there was still the feeling of brightness, of light. Whatever it was, it was stubbornly following her, gliding over that pulling feeling, tugging at her, at her core. Something deep within her chest, so small, so tiny, buried beneath all that sludge that she called herself.

It grew, brighter, warmer.

_Stop... Never stop... Grow... Move forward... Catch up to _Him_..._

Brighter and brighter, the light continued to shine. She could practically see it now, it had a shape. Color too. Something blue, and shaped like... Like a person.

_I've got to say something..._

The light was painful to look at, scorching away at the sludge that made up her body, flaying her flesh away. _It hurts._ Layers began to peel away, abraded away by the blue man, ripping at muscle, tearing right down to the bone. _It hurts._ Despite the agony, her core, that little thing inside, continued to move, trying to... To what? To push itself out? To escape the pain? Why was it swelling then? She tried to move, struggling perhaps an inch, no more.

_Something I've waited forever to say..._

Flames licked at her body now, burning every inch of her flesh to ash, blackening her bones. _It hurts, make it stop, make-_ Her core pulsed in time with the light, throbbing as though alive. _Why?_ Despite the agony, inside, under the blanket of flame washing over her, she could _feel_.

_Moko._

She _felt._ It was familiar, somehow. Halfway remembered, the feeling stirred, vibrated in time with the blue light. _I know what this is, I know who this is._ The light, that pull. It was something alive, something trying to draw her back from the darkness. _No... It's not that._

_Takabisha!_

It wasn't trying to draw her out, it was burning away the darkness. The darkness wasn't part of that core, it was trying to consume it. The sludge wasn't a part of it, it was a parasite, feeding off of it. And the core, it was a seed. _I'm... Alive._

_Show me what you've got!_

As if those words triggered something, she could feel her core explode. Bright light, heat, a pulse, the sludge melted away from the inside out. It had been able to resist the flames from without, but this new heat was too much for it to endure. Free of the darkness, finally, she could _see_. She saw what that light had been. _Kevin. He came in here. For me._

"And don't hold back, I'll know if you do!"

_Naraku. He's fighting Naraku. For me._ The chains still held her fast, binding her, constricting any sort of movement, any growth. _They'll have to go._ Squaring her shoulders, the metal clattered, drawing taut. _And so will Naraku._ That light within, what had started as a tiny seed, a minuscule spark, now filled her to the brim. A conflagration of heat and light filled her, red and blue pulsing in time with the boy's light. The chains withered as the two lights within melded together, becoming a single, all-consuming swirling firestorm of amethyst that boiled through her veins. The metal links squealed, protesting the treatment, before finally giving way, _shattering_ under the force of the girl's will.

Dropping down to the ground, she moved to that figure, the one that represented where she'd come from. Her past, her limitations, they needed to go, and she needed to do that with her own will, her own strength. "I'm not your tool any more."

"**Kanna, you are nothing but a toy, I can discard at a whim**."

"Not any more. I'm a person now." Her body moved on its own, propelled by _feeling_, by that liquid flame that coursed through her body. Pulled along with the sensation, she could feel the heat pouring out, wrapping around her flesh, around her hands. _I am..._ The build-up was so wild, so intense, she could barely contain it, keep it in check, under control. She couldn't hold it in any longer...

So she didn't. "Chou Moko Takabisha."

There was nothing. No sound, no light. There was no color, or heat. For an instant, she was back in the void once more, surrounded by nothingness. But this time, she _felt_. Inside, under the surface, there was warmth. The same warmth she'd felt that day, the first time she'd gained that little sliver of soul from Him.

She was alive.

And then the blackness, the sludge, was gone. She was clothed in red and black, just like her teacher, she realised. "...I am Kanna... First student of the Saotome branch of Anything Goes Martial Arts." She took a breath, feeling that heat, that _wholeness_, burn through her entire being. "And Mato brought me here."

"Oh! You _totally_ can't do that again in the real world though!" Kevin grinned, dressed in those odd clothes, so different from what he'd worn when they'd first met. Somehow, that shining shirt suited him.

Kanna's cheeks pinkened a little. "... Shut up, I can too."

Chuckling, Kevin shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "I'm just teasing, don't take it personally."

"I won't." Kanna's gaze dropped, fixing on her hands. They were different now, not just pieces of meat to be used. They were a part of her body, through them, she extended her will out into the world.

"Your focus determines your reality." Kevin wagged a finger at her, trying to look serious, hands free of the bandages he'd worn in the real world. "Qui Gon Jinn." A corner of his mouth quirked a little, as he seemed to look past her. "I've got a feeling that advice will help you a bunch before all of this is over."

"All of this?" Kanna lifted her hands to her face, peering at Kevin from between her fingers.

"Well, we've still gotta go find _Him_, don't we?"

She'd almost forgotten. "Oh, yes." _I was too caught up in this feeling. _She stared at Kevin with unfocused eyes. Where was the voice that always kept her on track? "... Why is it so quiet?"

Kevin blinked, looking around. "Um, well... There's just the three of us right now."

"Three?" Who else was there?

"Ahem." Frowning, Mato walked past the two mortals, idly twirling a length of scorched chain. "I'm almost insulted, _almost_." Flicking the chain away, it burst into flames and was consumed the instant it left his hand.

"You... Aren't mine, are you?" Kanna stared at the cloaked man. He _felt_ familiar, but it wasn't quite the same thing as the voice she'd always heard in her head.

"Nah, you think I'd dress in this get-up on my own?" The man fussed with the brown cloak he wore, furling it about his body after a moment. "It's not exactly my style, y'know?"

"Well get used to it, you're stuck with that look, mister 'I'm totally Kevin's soul-buddy now'." Crossing his arms over his chest, Kevin pouted a little. He _liked_ the Jedi look on his metaphorical mentor. It was _dashing_.

"Oh, you are so enjoying this, aren't you?" Frowning down at himself, Mato half-turned away, musing on just what the difference between Himself, himself, and _himself_ really was. "Honestly, do you think anyone but you buys this look? Really?"

Kevin blinked. "Um... Who _else_ would know about this?"

Mato arched an eyebrow, smirking and tilting his head back a little. "Who indeed? It's not like there's _paper_ involved, at any rate." His lips peeled back, exposing a hint of fang. _Isn't that_ r_ight? Oh, don't make that face._

"Ummm, ok. Now that I'm sufficiently weirded-out. Can we move on?" He had no idea what to make of, any of this, really, so Kevin put it out of his mind. "We've still gotta get back to the _other_ Spirit-Mato in here, and then-"

"And then a lot of stuff, yeah yeah, I know." Shaking his head, Mato turned and started walking. "C'mon kids, let's go see how much I hate me this time." Sighing, he tried not to think about that one too hard. If he still had a head, he was sure he'd have one mother of a headache right now.

Kanna and Kevin fell into step behind him, walking alongside each other in silence.

"Hey, um... How much time do you think has passed since we came in here?" Kevin glanced down at his wrist. "Heh, I almost expected a watch to appear... But I guess I can't keep track of spans of time this small on my own."

"I wasn't in a state that..." Kanna trailed off, unsure how to describe what it had been like, in that horrible dark void. "Time didn't have a meaning, where I was."

"Twenty-seven milliseconds." Mato walked on, arms crossed over his chest.

"How _do_ you do that?" Kevin quickened his pace a little, drawing up alongside the fragment of a man bound to his soul. "I mean, are you really _that_ aware of the passage of time, or are you just pulling my metaphysical leg?"

Mato shot him a 'what do you think' look.

"R-right, best not to ask things that'll give me a headache and keep me up late at night."

Kanna slid into step alongside Kevin once more, as the three of them began passing rows of marble bookcases. "I was here before, once."

"That's not really a surprise to any of us, y'know." Perched atop the column, right where he'd been before, Mato, Kanna's Mato, peered down at the trio. "I'm gonna assume everything went well, since you're not dead, Naraku, or a zombie."

Nodding, Kanna stared up at the image of that man, unsure of what to say.

He stared right back her. For all intents and purposes, he _was_ that man. They were no different, because aside from a short passage of time without a body, there had been nothing to differentiate the two. That would change, the mortal soul changed the fragment, Kevin and his own fragment were living proof of that fact.

How he would change was the question.

Kevin was a mage, not a martial artist. He lived in a world that was very different from this one. He lived in America, not Japan. Not only that, but his world had been scarred by a mad Goddess, and somehow reset, to the point that Kevin had trouble recalling how the last few days of the conflict actually played out.

He assumed they won, since he wasn't dead... But really, who knew for sure?

Mato, probably. Kevin looked back and forth at the two soul fragments, wondering what the ultimate purpose of the two was. Did Mato really split himself off like that just to protect a couple of kids? Was it part of some intricate gamble, or ploy? Was there some sort of circular time loop, and they really _hadn't_ beaten Sin-Skuld yet, but would soon? Or had they already done it, but hadn't, and needed to go back in time so that the already-have became the soon-would and- "AAAARRRGGHHH!" Clutching his skull with both hands, Kevin keeled over onto his knees, groaning loudly.

The cloaked Mato arched an eyebrow at the teen. "... You're doing that thing where you think yourself into an aneurysm again, aren't you?"

"I can't help it. How do you stop your own brain from thinking itself into a coma?"

"I stop thinking."

"Oh, _real_ helpful."

"I find that sarcasm can be therapeutic."

"I thought I _was_ being sarcastic."

"Yeah, you're _real_ good at that."

"... Ok, now I'm not thinking anymore... I can't even figure out which one of us is actually being sarcastic, or if we both are, or neither of us is..." Kevin's arms dropped to his sides as his eyes crossed for a moment. "Gaaah."

"You're welcome." Smirking, Mato turned to look at the other pair expectantly. "Go on."

Kanna blinked, unsure of what she was supposed to be doing. The little by-play between the two had been distracting, enough so that she couldn't even remember what she'd been concerned about a moment ago. "Um..."

Slapping a hand over his face, Mato leaned over, on the edge of the column. "I can't believe I put up with all this crap sometimes." Sighing, he pressed his other hand over his knee, leaning further forward. "Seriously, I die for what? B-grade comedy routines?"

"So." Cradling the dusky-skinned, white-haired woman in his arms, the man looked around. Waist-length hair shifted, lapping at his hips, twinkling like rubies spun into silken thread as he moved with an unnatural grace. It was as if he barely spared a moment to allow his feet to touch the ground, faint puffs of powdered stone drifting into the air about his calves.

The Demons and Hellions that surrounded the man were very careful to keep their distance, despite surrounding and out-numbering the man fifty to one. Ordinarily they'd simply crash in like a wave and bury their hapless prey under pounds of flesh and muscle, wearing it down until they tore their victim to shreds.

Ordinarily, their prey didn't shatter solid rock beneath his heels simply by walking.

Ordinarily, their prey didn't stride through Hell itself, radiating pure Infernal taint like perfume.

Ordinarily, their prey didn't ignore them, as if they were as threatening as leaves before a firestorm.

"Is one of you gonna be smart, and point the fastest way to the center of Hell, or are you gonna be stupid?" Green eyes glittering with barely-contained menace, the man actually _looked_ at the beings surrounding him for the first time, instead of taking in the scenery.

For a moment one of the larger Hellions, covered in rough obsidian spurs from skull to knee, hesitated, before inching closer to the man. Spittle daubed its lips, a purple, pustule-covered tongue slithered out from its mouth, as if it were already tasting the man's flesh.

It made the mistake of thinking it had a chance.

"Stupid it is." Smiling a little, he tilted his head to the side, glancing at the Hellion out of the corner of one eye. Shifting his stance very slightly, he tapped his foot against the ground, sending up a puff of dust from what had been solid stone. "**Bakusai Tenketsu Corrupted; Sulphuric Crucifixion**."

For a moment, nothing happened.

The next instant, with barely a grumble of warning, from the ground burst a shaft of bright yellow, its crystalline surface glittering faintly as the tip lanced through the Hellion without pause. Thick black ichor splurted from the back of its neck and groin, leaking down the infernal creature's body. After a moment, a pair of spikes burst from the Hellion's shoulders, tearing its arms clean off, cutting off the spray of tainted blood before it could start.

"Interesting fact; Sulphur burns bright blue when you light it up." The man's lips peeled back, exposing a pair of rounded fangs. He was no longer smiling, despite his mouth taking on the shape of a grin. "It also melts into a bright red liquid at two-hundred forty degrees." Walking over to the crucified Hellion, he touched a fingertip to the crystalline shaft impaling it. "Another interesting fact." The tip of his finger glowed a dull red. "At eight-hundred thirty degrees, it_ boils_." He dragged the fingertip across the surface of the crystal buried inside of the Hellion. "Can anyone guess what I'm about to do?"

Save for the soft patter of black blood on the ground, and a faint whimpering, nobody dared make a sound.

"If you guessed 'boil this sucker alive from the inside-out', you win." Grinning, he flicked his finger against the crystal, making it glow white-hot. "Winner gets to be the last one to die. So, which one of you won?"

_Chff-FOOMP!_

The Hellion's _shriek_ sailed across the desolate wasteland for miles, unabated.

Kevin _twitched_. "Oh... That did not feel right." Rubbing at his throat, the boy worked his jaw a few times. It felt like scratchy wool was packed in just below the surface of his skin, rubbing him the wrong way. "Tell me I'm not the only one who felt that."

"You're not." Mato furled the cloak about his body, letting his chin drop to his chest.

Kanna put both hands to her chest, squirming uncomfortably. It felt very wrong, whatever had caused the sensation. It was raw, dry and unpleasant. Like something was plucking at her rib bones, playing her like a skeletal harp. "I don't like this feeling..."

"I think we just ran out of time." Standing up on the column, Mato stuffed his hands into his pockets. "No more time for tips, or to fetch toys before you ask, Kevin." Eyes drooping shut, he sighed quietly.

Time had just ran out, for everyone.

"S-so, what do we do?" Kevin held his neck with both hands, cupping it, as if that would make the feeling abate.

"What do you think?" One eye slid halfway open, peering down at the boy below. "You've been on the ride long enough to guess the next step." He paused for a moment. "We go raid Heaven."

"... Yeah, somehow I was hoping it wouldn't quite come to that." Nothing was helping, so Kevin dropped his arms to his sides, trying to ignore the sensation squirming around just under his flesh. "Hearing you say it just doesn't quite make it sink in, you know?"

"Yeah well, deal with it." Stepping off of the column, Mato dropped to the ground, landing on the ball of one foot. "If it makes you feel any better, you won't have to fight God." He took a step, then paused. "Heh."

"Something funny?" Kevin tilted his head to the side. The sensation was fading faster, the less he focused on it. The weird thing was, unlike ignoring an itch in real life, it didn't come storming back twice as bad when he thought about it.

"Yeah, there is. But I'm not gonna spoil it." He shot the boy a look. "Just find the pack, before you do anything crazy."

"... Gee... Thanks." Rolling his shoulders, Kevin closed his eyes. Shifting from foot to foot, he began flexing his knees, as if his mental reflection of his body could actually be limbered up. Even though it was just a comforting illusion, his chest heaved, his breathing becoming deeper.

Mato quietly watched, keeping his mouth shut, for once.

Kanna watched, too. After a few moments, she too began limbering herself up. Crouching low to the ground, she stretched one leg out to the side, dropping into a half-split. Grunting softly, she switched legs, her face a grim, determined expression.

"We still have that big machine to take care of." Lacing his fingers together behind his back, Kevin locked his arms and raised them, stretching out his spine and shoulders. "I think we should conserve our resources as much as we possibly can."

"Mmh." Grunting, Kanna squatted, hugging her knees to her chest. "I'm still a void; I can draw in much more Chi than you can, nii-san."

"I've got Mana to burn, too." Unlacing his hands, Kevin swung his arms around, crossing them over his chest, then swinging them back out again. "We can do this." Feeling about as ready as he was going to get, he put a hand over his chest. "Remember what I told you before."

Planting her hands on her knees, Kanna stood up, locking out her legs. "Yes." She too, was as ready as she could make herself. But still, she needed one more thing. "But... Say it again for me?"

"Heh." He could feel it. Not under his hand, that was merely an illusion. "Alright." He could feel it, deep inside himself, and inside Kanna as well, since they were still linked together. His heart had just beat again. "We do not give up." That _thump_ inside, letting him know that time was speeding up once more, letting him know he was _alive_ still.

Arching her back, the small girl threw her head back, feeling that same _thump_ echoing throughout her being. "Not today." Kanna relaxed her spine and looked around. To either side, Mato stood. Dressed differently, but still, it was him. Flanking the two on either side. _Against all comers, we stand._ It was, as wordless sentiments went, a good one. Reassuring.

Nodding, Kevin squared his shoulders, feeling ready to face the real world again. No matter what it was that was there waisting for them, they were _ready_. "We do not give up today."

"Bakusai Tenketsu!"

BOOM!

Sitting in her room, Shampoo smiled and carefully combed the hair on the little straw doll she held. Humming to herself, she ignored the odd little machine that had brought it to her, focusing on combing the doll's hair.

Eventually, the smell of smoke tore away her attention, and she set the doll down. "Should check, maybe left noodles on the stove to burn?" Moving toward the door, she paused with her hand on the knob.

She'd heard a noise.

"Who there?" Looking down, she realised that an odd little machine was standing at her side, barely knee height. In its hands, it held a little straw doll with a mop of purple hair, like her own. "Haha, is cute. Doll for Shampoo?" Reaching down, Shampoo took the doll, sitting down on the edge of her bed. Taking the comb the little machine offered her, she carefully combed out the doll's hair, humming to herself, having forgotten the machine already.

Eventually, the smell of smoke curled its way through her attention, via her nostrils. "Should check, maybe left noodles on the stove to burn?" Getting up, she walked to the door and set her hand on the knob, just as she heard a noise, giving pause.

There, standing at her side, coming just up to her knee, was an odd little machine. In the machine's hands was a tiny straw doll with a mop of purple hair, just like Shampoo's.

"Haha, is cute. Doll for shampoo?" Taking the doll, Shampoo moved over to sit on the edge of her bed. Taking the comb the machine held out, she carefully combed out the doll's hair, humming to herself, having forgotten the machine already.

"Bakusai Tenketsu!"

BOOM!

Rock shrapnel peppered Ryoga's body, and the lost boy ignored it, as if it were a gentle spring rain.

The machine that towered over him, covered in its entirety with armor plating, did _not_ take the spray of stone nearly as well as the human. The worst of it was the shoulder the boy had smashed with his bare hand. Servo motors gummed-up and snapped under the stress of trying to move the damaged arm, exposed wiring melting, sending up sprays of sparks with every contact against unshielded metal.

Ryoga Hibiki was an idiot.

He was merely a human.

He'd never fought against a Goddess, nor any of her creations.

But right now, Ryoga was the most dangerous person in the world, and the utter foil of that huge war machine. Despite being mere flesh and blood, despite not being anywhere near as fast as his rival, despite only having a pair of techniques to his name, and no creative variations thereof...

He was tearing the thing to bits, punch by punch, piece by piece.

Simply because he'd seen the thing smack a kid around.

And that made him **mad**.

The machine brought about its undamaged arm, as smoke and a shower of sparks belched from the damaged shoulder, bringing its titanic fist down on the yellow pest, intent on smashing it like a fleshy, blood-filled bug.

Pavement shattered beneath the lost boy's feet, his muscles drawing taut against his bones as he strained his body to the limit... And _caught_ the machine's fist in his own hands. The ground below his heels crumbled into powder, and still he pushed harder, sinking up to his ankles in what had been a perfectly good street not two minutes ago.

Metal creaked and groaned, sounding almost in harmony with the boy's muscle and bone, both combatants pressing their limits as far as their respective bodies would allow.

The war machine was the latest creation of the Goddess Skuld, the Norn sister of the Future. She spun metal, and plastic, and her divine powers into things the world would never naturally see, and it was by her will alone that such things were given life, and shape, and purpose.

The boy was a useless idiot, who could barely be counted on to mess up when one was trying to bet on everything going wrong. But deep down, that stupid, idiotic, useless lost boy was a good person.

And it was always a big mistake to make good people mad.

"HRRRRRAAAGH!" Hunching down, Ryoga gave himself a few feet of space to work with, sinking deeper into the broken remains of the street. Straightening his back, he hauled for all he was worth, twisting his spine as he shrugged his shoulders, _flinging_ the titanic machine across a good half-block of space, and slamming it down into the ground, as if he'd suddenly personified Atlas himself.

Plates of armor buckled, bots and nuts and weld points snapping loudly as all that massive weight suddenly worked against the perfectly designed defense of its maker. The machine struggled with its one good arm, a good third of its hydraulic muscles blown to uselessness by the beating it had taken at the hands of a single mortal boy.

Blood wept from the corners of his mouth, as Ryoga huffed for breath. He'd taken several hits from the surprisingly agile machine, after his first titanic blow he'd struck, propelled on a rocket of sheer rage at what the thing had done to that girl. "Get back up... So I can hit you _again_." But he was far from being as broken as the machine was, and he was still very _mad_.

Creaking, groaning, the machine slowly ratcheted itself upright. Unlike flesh and blood, it could not exceed its built-in limitations, it could not imitate the feat Ryoga had managed a moment ago. What it _could_ do, however, was keep going. It did not feel pain, it did not feel loss, it did not feel weakness. It simply kept going, until it broke, or succeeded. Twin panels opened up on the machine's chest, a pair of wide-muzzled cannons extended out. There was a faint _click_, as the machine locked onto the boy, and bright red light shone from deep within.

Energy cannons.

Ryoga knew how to deal with energy attacks. "Shi Shi Hoku-" Holding his hands out before him, he concentrated all his depression outward, into the space between his fingers. Pure negative emotion formed into a sphere that shone bright yellow.

A sphere about the size of _one_ of the cannon barrels.

Just as the attack reached its peak, Ryoga's danger-sense prickled. Something, _two_ somethings, dropped down to flank him on either side. Each was nearly as powerful as himself, and each was brimming with energy, enough so that even _he_ could sense them up close.

"Shinku~"

"Chou~"

Two voices cried out, nearly as one, overlapping upon one another, as if they were of one mind. To one side of Ryoga, bright blue light shone, not nearly to the intensity of Ranma, but it was hard not to see the resemblance. To the other side, a cloud of purple sparks swirled around wildly, like a small galaxy forming. He could make out black and yellow, just barely, from behind the glare of the lights.

"_Moko Takabisha_!"

"Dan!"

Three blasts of light flashed out against the night, two orbs of bright color, and a swirling shaft of light rocketed out, slamming into the machine before it could discharge its own weaponry. Molten metal spattered into the air, boiling jets of coolant sizzled out into the small mounds of snow on the battle-torn ground.

In that moment of fiery chaos, Ryoga would swear he felt a hand slap against his forehead, heard something mumbled to him.

As the destruction cleared, a hulking metal skeleton charged forward. Free of its heavy armor, and most of the hydraulics that made up its external shell, it was much faster now. The one, still mostly-undamaged arm reached out, steam hissing off of the bone-like, metal fingers reaching for the lost boy.

On instinct, Ryoga flung himself to the side, out of the path of the machine. This time, he knew he heard a voice. He could hear someone _singing_.

_Distant homeland, near yet far,_

_Words of recall, none Heaven can bar,_

_Song of the Goddess, power sealed within,_

_Drag all home, with triumphant din!_

Music shattered the night for a moment, a heavenly choir sang out, melding with the pure tones of what must have been dozens of horns. It was the sound of victory, the sound of good winning out over evil, strong and true.

In a flash of bright white light, the machine was gone, and Ryoga alone stood in the street.

With a bright yellow sticky-note pasted to his forehead. "Er..."

"Aaawww... My poor Warmech." Pouting, Skuld ran over to her battered creation, eyes watering up at the state of it. "They fractured your chassis. Oh! Your shoulder pinion gears are out of alignment. Oooh, those stupid humans!" Frustrated, the Goddess stamped her foot. "If not for that stupid wish, Onee-sama could have helped out, and you wouldn't be in this state!"

Off to the side, a woman dressed in a rather simple white button-up shirt, knee-length blue skirt, and tights, stood watching the young Goddess. Her blonde hair was drawn up into a series of plaits that clung tight to the back of her head, somehow complimenting her no-nonsense expression.

Skuld, for the most part, ignored the woman, instead lavishing attention on her poor machine. "Awww, you're going to need a complete overhaul." She shot the woman a look, unable to completely ignore her. "See? We didn't need you at all." While not entirely bad, Skuld did have a fair streak of childish spite running through her. "My Warmech mark one was pl-"

The armor plates over one of the machine's shoulders rattled.

"Eh?" Blinking, Skuld looked up at the shoulder in question. "That's weird, you should have purged all your armor by n-" The sound of heavy plates of metal crashing to the ground cut the girl off.

As did the sight of two figures in black and yellow following the metal plates. The siblings had raided Ryoga's pack before they'd made their attack and stowed away, both wearing Hibiki-style clothing.

"Ding ding! Last stop; Heaven." Smirking, Kevin grabbed Kanna's hand, and raced past the startled Goddess. "Hands and arms, inside the cart at all times, yadda yadda!" He turned to shoot a triumphant glance back over his shoulder. "You lose again Skuld!" Inside, Kevin felt like dancing. For once, he didn't need Mato's help to take on a Goddess.

Score one for the former Black Knight.

"I'm impressed nii-san." Kanna's hair billowed out behind her, a sooty, blood-soaked cloud of silk. "I didn't know you could hijack other's spells like that." Truth be told, she didn't even know there _had been_ a spell infused into the machine's frame, let alone it was a recall enchantment.

"Yeah, that makes two of us." _Honestly, I wasn't sure I could do it either. At least, not Divine-ranked spells. If it wasn't for the armor coming off, I wouldn't have been able to figure out that there was a spell inlaid in the frame at all, lucky me. _Grinning, Kevin kept on running, letting that feeling in the back of his head guide his feet, confident they'd get to wherever it was they needed to be just fine. _Guess that means- aw geez. _Kevin winced. _And now I know what Mato meant by 'Danger Sense'. It's going crazy now, too._

Spinning on her heel, Kanna scooped Kevin up in her arms, and dove to the side. Wincing at the tearing sensation on one side of her head, she broke their fall with her knees, and set the teenager on his feet. "Are you alr-"

"I'm fine! I'm fine!" _Emasculated, but fine._ Kevin got his feet beneath himself and tensed his legs. "Lame move Skuld, back-attacking us like that!" He glared at the Warmech, that had just narrowly missed crushing them both, if not for Kanna's swift reaction. "Kinda makes you out to be the bad guy, doesn't it?"

"Shut up!" Skuld stomped her foot again. "You're the bad guys! Invading Heaven like th-"

"And _who_ decided it was ok to attack me while I was getting out of the bath?"

Skuld flushed, letting out a quiet _eep_ of embarrassment.

"Thought so." _Still plenty of mana to burn, I should take this one._ "You ok Kanna?"

The girl nodded, putting a hand to the side of her head. It came away sticky. "The hair will grow back, I'm stopping the bleeding now." Again she touched the hand to her head, a faint green glow dancing about her fingertips. _I can do this, I can heal myself now. _He_ did mention death making him stronger. Did I die then, too?_

Truth be told, Mato had only claimed that death was a pain in his ass. A minor inconvenience at worst. Then again, he did say a lot of things.

The Warmech flicked the fingers of its good arm out, dropping a clot of torn hair, and bloody scalp away.

"Hey!" Kevin held out his hands, fingertips dancing, as if he were performing origami with the air itself. "Did you just rip my sister's hair off?" Truthfully, the question was only to buy himself some time, to keep Skuld from commanding that scarily-fast machine to attack again before he could cast a spell.

"S-sister?" Skuld shot the pair a startled look. They were intruders from different dimensions, they couldn't be related, could they? She tried not to focus on the lopsided new haircut the girl possessed, nor the crimson staining her head and clothing on one side. "She's n-"

"Don't care! Pissed now!" _This is Heaven. The odds are really against us here._ Kevin's hands flit back and forth, weaving an ever more complex pattern before him. _There's technically no air, nor water, not even ground really. Three elements down, so I'm just stuck with fire, and that's my sister's speciality._ Locking the pattern into place with one hand, Kevin began weaving another around the first, pouring more mana into it. _A Druidic life-enhancing pattern with the right, mom's trick. An enhancement-focus with the left, my own trick... Since I suck at nature magic._ "Kanna."

The girl glanced over at the teen, unsure of what he expected from her. "Hmm?"

"Stand in front of me, and do your thing."

Puzzled, the girl cocked her head.

_He means blast the thing, kiddo._

_Ah._ Moving to stand between Kevin's arms, a faint blush on her pale cheeks, Kanna held out her own arms. _I need to expend as little chi as possible, nii-san knows this, so why- oh._ The faint purple sparks between her fingers swelled, nearly doubling in size on their own. _He can do this? Magic is amazing... _Setting her jaw, Kanna flexed her fingers, resolving to not waste the mana Kevin was expending for her. _I should say something now... Shouldn't I?_

_The cue for verbal assistance is 'line'._

_... Line._

_Heh._

"Ooooh, enough of this!" The diminutive Goddess pointed a finger. "Warmech! Concussion dampener array, _fire_!" Her other hand slapped down onto the machine's leg, applying a large jolt of Divine power straight into the conduit specially built for this purpose.

_Frrrzzzt!_

"Ah?" Kevin blinked. _What th-_ The two spells he'd been weaving simply winked right out. "Ah crap! No way!" _I can't believe it, she counter-spelled me?_ Frowning, Kevin held out his hands again, pouring mana into the air once more. "Alright, how about I-"

At least, he _intended_ to.

"Cra~ap."

Kanna blinked as well, but had enough presence of mind to draw the chi back into herself. _Something is wrong with nii-san's magic._ Tensing her legs, she kept her eyes upon the machine. _I may have to fight this one on my own._

"Ah-hah! Skuld wins again!" Smirking, the tiny Goddess put one fist on her hip, keeping the other on her machine. "You can't use any mortal magic with all this Divine energy blanketing you, can you?" Tossing back her head, Skuld let out a triumphant bark out laughter, which quickly dissolved into a fit of giggling. _I win, I wi~in!_

"Nii-san, I can take her, if you can't do anything more." Kanna shifted her stance, edging forward a little, body naturally falling into a Saotome-style guard position, right arm fully-extended, hand bunched into a fist, left arm curled in front of the chest, open palm facing the opponent. "You should go on ahead, her... Field? Effect? Whatever it is, it can't possibly go very far." _I'll have to face this one alone. Without its armor, it should be much more fragile now._

_Also, don't forget the ass-kicking back on Earth you gave it._

_That too._ Kanna was certain of her own abilities, at least enough to defeat the machine without risking death a second time. "Nii-san, you go on, and I'll-"

"No, you go. I'll stay." Kevin gently pushed past Kanna, putting himself between the girl and the Goddess, and her machine. "You're faster than I am anyway, you can probably slip past any defenders before they even know you're here."

"But I-"

"Go on, your big brother is giving you... I'm asking you to trust me." Giving orders just sounded too... Bossy. He was too used to dealing with his own, stubborn sister. "So go." _I am so not gonna turn into a brat like her. I'm gonna be an awesome older sib- awww, dammit. Now I have to get _two_ birthday and Christmas presents. There goes my allowance._

"R-right." Pausing to stare at Kevin's back for a moment, Kanna turned and dissolved into a blur of white, black and yellow, vanishing as she poured on enough speed to become nothing more than a wash of colors to the untrained eye. She glanced to the side, staring at the woman in blue.

Who just stood watching, arms crossed over her chest, eyes moving to clearly track the girl as she raced past.

Kanna shivered a little, and poured on the speed, rushing deeper into Heaven.

The woman did not follow. Rather, she turned her eyes back to the mortal, and the Goddess.

"Well? Now what are you gonna do?" Giggling still, Skuld couldn't resist the urge to gloat. After all, she'd just won. It was entitled, wasn't it? "I've blocked off your mortal magic, and your little side-kick with the freaky powers is gone too. I've won, haven't I?"

"Nope."

Skuld's grin vanished. "W-what?"

Holding up his hands, Kevin crossed his forearms before himself. "You said it yourself." Closing his eyes for just a moment, he focused, _hard_. "You blocked off my _mortal_ magic." _I can do this. I know I can._ Flickers of light shimmered over his body, tiny motes of energy swirled about the teenager, as if he'd plucked particles of brightest white from the non-existant air itself. "Nobody said I couldn't do more than just that."

"Wh-what?"

Drawing a deep breath, Kevin reached deep within himself, tapping into that font of power that was not his own, and yet, fell under his ownership by right of possession.

"I am the nexus of power."

"What are you doing?"

"Time ceases to drag on in this hour."

"You can't cast magic, you know."

"The bane of the world does my will."

"You _can't_ use it, I'm blocking you!"

"His might, his strength, and his skill."

"I said you _can't_! You can't do magic now!"

"Flows through my veins like a stream."

"You can't, you can't, you can't!"

"Even **God**__cannot bar me my _dream_!"

"You caaaa-"

**Crack**!

For an instant, the fabric of reality _split_, rending in two between Kevin's hands. A ripple, as if a single pebble had been dropped into a still pond, radiated outward around him. All Skuld had done to block off his magic was flood the area around them with her own Divine power. So, Kevin had tapped into _that_, instead of using his own mana.

It was power drawn straight from the throne of Heaven itself.

With it, he could do anything, _make_ anything. He could literally mold reality as he saw fit.

And right then, there was only one thing he needed, right there.

Plunging an arm into that ripple, Kevin grimaced, feeling, for an instant, his very soul _shudder_. He was toying with the very power of God himself. Just the slightest slip, the tiniest error, and he'd simply cease to be.

_There_.

Clenching his muscles, the teenager dragged his arm from that small warp in reality, withdrawing...

"No." It was doubtful she knew what it was, but as a Goddess, Skuld knew an object of power when she saw one. No matter what new shape it had taken on, no matter that mortal hands had twisted and molded it. It still remained itself, reduced in half even as it was.

Raising his hand to his face, gripping the object, Kevin pressed the edge of his empty hand against the hammer. Roland's gun cocked with a dry _click_. "Oh yeah, it is _so_ on now." Mouth hidden behind the heavy pistol, Kevin still couldn't keep the wild grin from twisting his lips.

"No... No no no." Skuld shook her head, unable to believe what her eyes were telling her. Every inch of her Divine being screamed at her that _that weapon_ wasn't something made by mortal hands. It could hurt, no, _kill_ immortal beings.

"Don't be calling it a 'warmech' anymore." Levelling the pistol, Kevin gripped it with one hand, holding the other arm back to balance against the weight of the weapon. "It's 'scrap metal' now!" Focusing, he squeezed the trigger. _Robocop pose for the win!_

Click.

"Hmhmhm, so you made it this far."

"Yup."

"Well, you'll go no further!" The wild-haired woman posed, dressed like a cross between an eighties rocker and a biker, strands of blonde hair plastered to her forehead, partially covering the twin, unmeeting angled slashes on her brow that formed a V shape. A nervous sweat always did tend to make things cling to you. _I am so dead._

"You really think so, don't you?" Mato looked... Unimpressed, to say the least. The unconscious body of the local Urd still draped over his shoulder, almost like a rug.

"Of course I do! I am Marller! Demoness of the highest class you've ev-"

"Hup!" Mato didn't bother listening. Instead, he shrugged the Goddess off of his shoulder, and tossed her into the air above the Demoness.

"Eh?" The Demoness looked up, watching the body sail through the air. _Isn't that Urd? What's she doing down h- _Something flickered in front of her, demanding her attention.

A hand cupped her chin, another doing the same with the back of Marller's head. There was a sudden jerking sensation, accompanied by a brittle _snap_.

The Demoness dropped to the ground bonelessly.

And Mato casually dusted off his hands, before holding them out. "Should've just done that to the last three that got in my way." Urd's limp form dropped into his waiting arms, displacing the air around him slightly when the two came into contact, making his knee-length mane of shimmering, bright-red hair flutter out for a moment, before it settled down again. "Oh well, live and learn." Unperturbed, he continued on his way, deeper into the final layer of Hell.

The tang of ozone filled the air, undercut by a _sizzling_ rasp of melted and scorched metal.

"Another one down!" Spinning on her heel, Urd whipped around her blade, a short shaft of harsh, blue-white light. In an instant, the lightning blade sliced through the skeletal machine, neatly slicing it in two from hip to shoulder. "And another!" Grinning, the Goddess turned to check for her next target.

Which happened to be a cluster of the machines, two dozen strong.

"Er, uh-oh." A hint of nervousness crept into the Goddess' grin, and she clutched her crackling short sword tighter. "I don't suppose you guys would consider coming at me one at a time?"

As one, the machines charged the lone defender.

"I thought as much." Jaw clenching, Urd set her heels, readying herself to bear the brunt of yet another wave of machines. Skuld had pulled out all the stops, sending a small army of half-finished, miniature warmechs after the Tendo home. One of two things she hadn't counted on was the Urd from Mato's home dimension waiting there for an attack.

"Shi Shi Hoku Dan!"

A blast of bright yellow light slammed into the pack of machines, smashing them to bits in an instant. This was the other thing Skuld hadn't counted on. The arrival of the Lost Boy, still dirty and bloody from his last fight, still just as mad.

And clutching a yellow sticky-note. "Um, are you 'Urd' by any chance?"

The Goddess in question arched an eyebrow. "I am. You're a Hibiki, I can tell from your outfit."

Nodding, Ryoga held out the note. "Um, the voice in my head told me to give you this." Upon the woman's sudden look of shock, he waved his other hand. "It also told me to say 'take the damn note, do you really think I've got enough soul-slivers to go around _that_ much? Airhead'." He flushed a little. "That's what it said."

"I... See." Clearing her throat, Urd snatched the note out of the boy's hand. "Well, let's see what it-" The note had a simple arrow on it, and that was it.

Not that that really mattered.

_Yo, what's up Urd?_

"Heh?" A puzzled look flashed across the Goddess' face, upon hearing the familiar voice inside her head.

_Didja know Kevin has a spell for making a note do voice-mail and a magic compass dealie too? I didn't. Go figure. Anyway, don't interrupt, since this is kind of a one-shot deal. I figure by now, Skuld's been taking a few whacks at pretty much the only other people that're gonna even consider getting into the fight, so I sent idiot-boy over there to help ya out._

Urd couldn't help but smirk at the man's foresight. He may have been a dolt on occasion, but he was no slouch when it came to combat, and needlessly complicated chains of events such as these. Of course, _she'd _already seen that one coming too, which was why she was out here fighting in the first place.

_So, yeah. Magic compass, so even the Hibiki curse can't keep Ryoga from getting there. Fill him in on the situation, er... Make that 'tell him the robots are mean and going to attack Akane' instead. Filling him in would take too long, and probably won't even get through his skull. He should be more than enough backup, the dumbass gets stronger the more he gets depressed, so just keep him from getting killed. You don't need to worry about keeping him motivated, just taunt him every once in a while when he starts to flag with portents of doom and failure._

She couldn't help but smile nastily at the thought of that. Urd did love to tease people on occasion, and for once, it would be integral to the battle-plan. Life was full of unexpected rewards sometimes.

_Also, yeah, I know. Kasumi kicked the bucket. I am so not looking forward to being around when I find out about that one. Ten-to-one odds on God-punching coming up, twenty-to-one on kicking coming into play. No bets on massive explosions; Those are a given._

Urd blinked, a little surprised. Which Mato was doing the talking? The one in the girl? But didn't he just say that Kevin's magic was at work within the note? It seemed that there was always an unexpected twist with the man, even though she felt that she was the one person alive who knew him best.

_Anyway, goin' to Heaven now. Ignore the sky cracking open like a window or anything, that'll just be me- errrr... One of me. I'm not sure which. It's kinda first-come, first-serve at this point. So, yeah. Good luck._

"Um, so..." Ryoga looked around, scratching his cheek. All about the yard, there were bits of metal. Smashed and cut and crushed and scorched and burned machines. The Goddess had had a field day with them. "What am I supposed to do now?"

Slipping the note into her pocket for later, just in case something else came up, which wouldn't surprise her in the slightest, Urd shrugged. "These machines are attacking the Tendo house. We're going to keep them from killing Akane and her family."

"What?" Ryoga tensed up. "Why isn't Ranma out here helping then?" He could feel the anger boiling up inside of him. _Ranma you idiot, why aren't you fighting like you always do?_

"Because Kasumi is dead." Urd shrugged again, bringing her hands together over her head, shaping the lightning blade into an orb of crackling light. "He's consoling the girl."

"Oh." Now Ryoga wasn't quite sure how to feel. On one hand, he was sad that Kasumi was dead, as she'd always been nice to him, and, well, to everybody. On the other hand, Ranma was with Akane. "I, um..."

"If you don't know what to do, I can help with that." The crackling orb of light swelled, as the Goddess channelled more of her power into it. "These machines are on the same side as the one who made Kasumi's death happen."

"Oh... Thanks." Again, that anger boiled up, brighter and hotter than before. "That helps a lot." Now he had a target, an outlet for those dark feelings. The flock of machines that had formed a loose circle around them. "Try not to get in my way..." Ripples of yellow light flowed off of Ryoga's body, lighting up the yard. This was twice now that Ryoga had been pushed over the point of outrage, and both times, it had been these machine-things that had done it.

"I could say the same thing to you, Hibiki." Parting her hands, the orb stretched out into a three yard long, slender shaft, tipped by a slope-pointed head. Clutching the lightning spear in one hand, Urd lept skyward, flinging the weapon down at a cluster of machines. The one it struck was transfixed for a moment, coming apart at the seams from the sheer amount of power flowing through it. The next moment, dozens of tendrils of electricity burst out, lashing about at the other machines nearby, attracted by all the metal, and guided by the will of the Goddess who'd spawned them.

"It's Ryoga!" Spinning on his heel, the Lost Boy cupped his hands, a sphere of yellow light blossoming between his fingertips. "Shi Shi Hoku Dan!" The ball of chi shot out and slammed into the head of the pack of machines, blasting it to pieces, adding to the devastation, ripping the rest of the machines apart.

Once again, the Tendo yard had become a battleground in the war against Heaven.

"Uhhh..." Puzzled, Kevin squeezed the trigger again.

Click.

And again.

Click.

And again, and again, and again.

Click. Click. Click.

"Uh-oh."

Staring blankly, still in shock, it slowly dawned on Skuld that the weapon, something she'd feared so much, was somehow useless. A shiver ran through her body, her mind racing to figure out just _why_ it had failed to work. "Of course."

"Tch." _The jamming field is still up._ Grimacing, Kevin stared at the machine, and the spot where the Goddess was still touching it. Still feeding her Divine power into it, blocking him from using any of his spells. He had no ammo with him, Roland's gun may as well have been made out of mud, for all the good it was doing him. "Dammit."

"Warmech, sustain the field." Skuld sent another burst of power into the machine. Just enough for it to maintain the jamming effect for a minute or so. "And smash him up a bit."

Tensing up, Kevin considered his options. Sadly, only running remained at this point, unless he counted _throwing_ the gun at her head. _Heh, funny, but not really all that useful._

"Then go squish that creepy little girl." Skuld smirked nastily at the mortal. _That'll teach 'em. You can't fight Heaven. It's not allowed. _The machine began to move, thudding its way towards the boy slowly.

"Grrh." _That did it._ Setting his feet under himself firmly, Kevin stared down the huge machine as it drew closer to him. _Running is officially no longer an option._ "Don't call her that."

"Oooh?" Nasty expression still on her face, Skuld put a hand to her ear, leaning forward a bit. "What was that? Is the mere mortal telling a Godd-"

"Don't call my sister creepy!" Gripping Roland's gun tight in his hand, he pointed the muzzle towards the machine. He was mad now, mad enough to spit, even though his mother had raised him with better manners than that.

"Hmph! Who cares what you think? I'm a Goddess. If I say she's creepy, then it must be true." Shrugging, Skuld shook her head, closing her eyes. "Foolish living beings, don't you know your betters?" She was getting full of herself now, ego puffing up nearly as large as her machine.

"I don't care _what you are_." Gritting his teeth, Kevin continued to aim the pistol, as if sheer fury would make it work. "I don't care if I have to smash your toy to bits with my bare hands, I'm gonna make you pay for that attitude!"

_Tell 'em kid._

"Just because you have power, _doesn't_ mean everything weaker than you is worthless!"

"Oooh? So? What are you going to do, use mortal power against me?" Skuld turned her head to the side, so the boy could see her face in profile while she scoffed at him. "You already forgot I blocked your magic? You think a mortal can win with just belief alone?"

"Yes."

"Eh?" Kevin flinched, turning to look at the voice coming from behind him. "Who-"

The woman in blue, the one who'd so easily tracked Kanna's rapid flight away, lifted her arms, sliding them around and past Kevin's shoulders. "Belief is powerful."

"Gh!" Skuld flinched, jerking back at the sight of the woman standing opposite to her. "What're y-"

"I once heard someone say a similar thing." The woman drew near, practically leaning against Kevin's back now. "He said 'If you walk down the path that you believe is right, you cannot be wrong.' I believed in him then." She fixed her bright green eyes upon the Goddess, her face a cold mask. "And I believe in this boy now."

"What're you doing?" Kevin stared blankly at the woman out of the corner of his eye. Wasn't she on the other side? What was she doing back there now?

"Saber!" Skuld trembled, possibly with fear, definitely with rage. "Are you betraying us?"

"I never chose a side." The woman called Saber lifted Kevin's other hand up to join the other upon the pistol's grip. "I'm simply doing what I believe is right."

"Seriously, what are you doing?" The whole situation was seriously weirding Kevin out now.

"Shh." Saber clasped both of her hands over the boy's. "The weapon does not accept you, because you see it as a tool."

Growling, trembling more violently now, Skuld exploded. "Fine! Warmech!" She pointed at the pair. "Smash them both to bits!" The machine groaned onward, follow its mistress' command, bearing down upon the two.

"Grip it properly, hold it firmly. It _is_ a weapon, treat it as such, and it will respond." She carefully raised their arms above their heads, using her knee to nudge the boy's left leg forward. "And step into the swing."

"But you don't swing a gun." Kevin was confused, too confused to bother trying to resist at all.

"Whoever said it was a gun?" For a moment, it seemed as if the woman might smile. "Let your mana flow, I shall help you do the rest." Then all traces of humor vanished from her face, becoming that serious mask once more.

"Um, right." Glancing up, Kevin opened himself up, clearing his mind. The jamming field was still up, preventing him from shaping any spells. That did nothing, however, to prevent his mana from actually flowing. Focusing, he concentrated on the weapon in his hands, opening himself up to it. _If I don't think of it as a gun, what do I think of it as then?_ A tingle washed through his body, echoing in his mind, like a single, pure tone sweeping through a concert hall. _No way._ He could suddenly _see_ it, as if it had been etched into his very soul, the actual form of the thing he held in his hands.

Drawing their arms back further, Saber began to move forward, forcing Kevin to step forward with his right leg. "EX-"

Before his eyes, Kevin _felt_, just as much as he saw, his mana sweeping through the weapon. What had been dark metal swiftly changed, shining with a bright, golden hue. Sigils emblazoned themselves across the body of the pistol, staining the hammer and cylinder deep blue, and what he'd swear was _fairy script_ flowed along the length of the barrel. _This can't possibly be-_

"CALIBUR!"

As one, the two brought the weapon down. A bright shaft of light flashed out from the tip, not a pencil-thin beam, or a tiny, nut-sized projectile like Kevin had so often produced. No, this gathering of magical energy was easily three feet across, shining like the brightest gold he'd ever seen, spun from the light of the sun itself.

Between the 'ground' the two stood on, and the weapon they held, was the Goddess' war machine.

The burning beam of light, a golden blade shaped by the will of two 'mere mortals', cleft straight through the machine of the Goddess of the Future as if it had no substance at all. Metal body, and the thinner armor mated to that frame offered no resistance at all to the Golden Sword of Promised Victory. In the instant of contact with that blade, the machine split, cracked, and utterly _shattered_ under the sheer force it brought to bear.

The belief of mankind lay within that golden blade, crystallized faith in something that was greater than any of them could be alone.

How could anything possibly hope to stand up against that kind of feeling?

Kanna's too-large, borrowed clothing fluttered, snapping sharply against her body as the wind tore at her ears. It wasn't really air, not really. It was merely an approximation, something to make Heaven less alien to mortals who'd breathed their entire life.

It was... Eerie.

Blood-stained hair streaming out behind her, the girl was a blue of black, yellow, white, and red. She was aware of several human beings that had stepped into her path, barely aware of her body shifting, changing its angle in mid-air, arrowing between the men and women as if they were as thick as mist. They were no impedance to her blazing flight, her aura held in check by the need to conserve as much strength as possible.

Her innate nature as a void served her well in this place, drawing in energy that would have simply dissipated into the environment around her, rather than let it build up and risk damaging her body. The girl's flow of power was normally like a loop, swinging outside of her, before being drawn back in once again, feeding her every movement.

Now the loop was like a coil, spinning endlessly inside of her, almost, but not quite brushing against the surface. Chi flowed into her muscles, flinging her forward with ever growing speed, and Kanna hissed through the air like a bullet. The faint _snap_ of her passage all the notice given to the defenders of Heaven that had attempted to block her way.

Until a chaotic tangle of inch-thick, thorned vines blocked her path.

Unable to stop, barely even able to react to the sudden barrier barring her path, where there'd not been one an instant ago, Kanna threw up her arms to shield her face. Razor-sharp barbs reduced her clothing to ribbons, sliced deep into her flesh, and left her tangled up with a puddle of crimson pooling between her feet.

"Ah, got you." The voice came from above.

Biting her lip to keep from thrashing about, screaming in pain, in rage at the audacity of someone slowing her down at a time like this, Kanna slowly turned her head upward, mindful of the new hole she'd put in her bottom lip. _Very... Angry._

_Good grief kid, you need to learn to get a handle on those emotions of yours. You can't bottle them up with the energy, and not vent all that pissed-ness._

A woman descended from above, chocolate-colored, chin-length hair remaining perfectly in place as she moved with an easy grace. Landing in a low crouch, she paused for a moment, letting the tanned guards that hovered over each shoulder to settle properly, before standing up in a single smooth motion.

_Ah geez, attention-whore._

In Mato's jaundiced eye, the bikini bottoms, the spandex top with the the cut-out over her cleavage, the gloves, the boots, bracelets and choker; They all screamed 'look at me, I'm so witty and pretty!'. The blue marks on her face, however, screamed something else.

They screamed 'Goddess'.

_I can't move._

_Well, no surprise there._

"Small difficulties aside, I'm surprised I was able to capture you so easily." Smiling, the woman tapped a finger to her cheek, the other hand holding onto the handle of the vine-whip that held Kanna fast. "But I am not about to to complain about good fortune."

_Look, just work on your zen thing, and lemmie handle this. Goddesses are a bit out of your league right now._

_'Zen' thing?_

_Inner peace, enlightenment. Whatever._

_... Fine._

_Don't pout._

"So, now that I have you in my grasp, you'll tell me all of your plans, no?"

"Nope!" Smiling, Kanna rolled her eyes skyward, even though there technically wasn't a sky at all.

"Um... What?"

Shrugging her shoulders a bit, Kanna shoved her hands into her pockets, ignoring the woman for the moment. _A pocket's a pocket... Unless it's _my_ pocket._

Smile straining, a crinkle forming at the corner of the Goddess' mouth. "A-and why do you think you can simply ignore a Goddess like myself?"

"Well, um..."

Blinking, the Goddess just stared, before it dawned on her why the girl had trailed off. "Peorth, Goddess First-Class."

"Well, Peorth, I think you're a total and utter pain."

"Wh-"

"But then, that's my opinion of just about everyone who works up here, so don't take it personally or anything." Smirking, Kanna shrugged her shoulders again, ignoring how the thorns on the vines that bound her dug deeper into her flesh. What mattered was that it gave her more slack to work with, and the blood just lubed everything up.

Among other things it did.

Of course, Peorth might have done something about that, she wasn't a total idiot. It was just that most of her focus was on _not_ walking over and smacking the little smart-mouth upside the head a few times. To teach her proper manners, of course. Not out of spite at _all_.

_Just a little more. Damn this hurts._ "But then, maybe you should, since you're working on the side that thinks it's fine to just _kill_ any humans that get in the way. Collateral damage, right?" Smiling innocently, Kanna's fingers curled around something in her pocket as she shrugged one more time. "Say, are these vine-things made of metal?"

Flinching at the accusation, mainly because it hit so very close to home, Peorth stammered, trying to put together a proper reply that _didn't_ sound like a muttered excuse. Truth be told, she was beginning to have her own misgivings about the turn the current conflict had taken. Taking tea with a friend or two living in the contemporary-Japanese area of Heaven hadn't helped her get over those misgivings either. "Ah, no... It's a thorn whip."

"So, made out of plant-stuff, right?"

"Yes, but-"

"That's all I needed to know." Grinning, Kanna cocked her head to the side. "Say, did you know the name of the main target of God right now?"

Inwardly wincing, worried that she'd made a mistake, Peorth tightened her grip on the whip handle. No matter what her own feelings were, she was not about to fail in her task. She could work that out later, when she was done. "... His name is Mato."

"Ah, typical." Shaking her head, Kanna's grin turned to a half-smirk, one corner of her mouth curling back. "Didja know he could change things about himself?"

Peorth's focus narrowed, as did her eyes, and she added a second hand to the whip's handle. "Change, like a shape-shifter?"

Kanna shook her head. "Nah, he doesn't do that anymore. Hurt too much." Leaning over, the girl bent down, standing now in a fairly large puddle of crimson. "Burning blood's mainly his thing now." A chuckle. "Oh hey, I'm standing in a puddle of it, and plants _burn_, don't they?"

"Wh-" Peorth didn't even have time to form the thought, before a cloud of flame burst into existence, a conflagration of angry, crimson tongues curling about the small girl, and the vines that held her.

Vines that crackled, popped, and finally burst into cinders with a loud _snap_.

Biting down a curse, Peorth leaped backwards, yanking on the handle. The withered end of the vine whip lashed about, as if alive. After a moment, the tip burst out into a fresh, brighter green, thorny tendril. In the time she had taken to regrow her whip, the flames, and the girl had vanished.

"Also, he's _really_ good at getting the most out of a body."

Peorth whirled about, spinning the lash before her, winding the vine into a spiral barrier of thorns.

"Geez, jumpy much?" Kanna simply stood there, hands still in her pockets, a short distance away and making no move to attack the Goddess. "I just wanna know if you really keep plannin' on getting in my way. I don't really know you, so I kinda have to ask first. I'd hate to smack you around for no good reason."

Frowning, Peorth let the vine drop to the ground, inert. "You plan on attacking the people of Heaven, so, yes, I do." It would only take a flick of her wrist to bring the whip back into play, and the girl would be in her grasp once more. But, she wanted to know what the invaders were planning. That was all.

"Nah, not really. I'm just here for one of the people God killed, that's all."

To that, Peorth had no reply. Not anything she could say and still remain honest. She wanted to say that God did not kill. She wanted to say that mortals had no right to question God. "If someone is in the Kingdom of Heaven, then it was their time to pass on." That, she could at least say honestly.

"Not really, not when it was a Divine lightning bolt that killed her." Kanna frowned. "Collateral damage."

Now Peorth really had no choice; She needed to capture this girl. She couldn't let her aside, both out of duty, and her need to know the entire truth. Even if the mortal child was delusional, she'd gotten into Heaven somehow. At the very least, capturing her alive would allow her to question the girl about that. If somehow, she accidentally let the child escape back to Earth, and plugged up the hole she'd wriggled into Heaven through, well... She could deal with being stuck with extra paperwork for a while as atonement. "I'm going to have to stop you. I promise, I'll let you explain after I make sure you can't run off on me."

"Tch, figures." The girl yanked something out of one pocket.

Peorth's wrist flicked, and the vine-whip leaped into the air, snaking out towards the girl.

Only to glance off of... A red bamboo umbrella.

Peorth stared, dumbfounded. "Is that a-"

"An umbrella?" The girl peered around the edge of the unfolded umbrella, grinning impishly. "One of the Hibiki family's training tools." Twisting her wrist, Kanna made the umbrella spin, as she swept it out to the side, holding it lightly in her right hand. "One of Mato's, actually." Her left hand remained in her pocket still.

"... How did you pull it out of that pocket?"

"Trade secret." Winking, Kanna shoved her hand out, snapping the umbrella shut. "Also, it's really heavy. Catch!" Without any other warning, she suddenly flung the umbrella end-first at the Goddess.

"You think y- ULF!" The umbrella caught Peorth in the middle. She'd expected it to simply bounce off of her, not weigh somewhere around a ton and a half. Knocked off of her feet, her body pitched back, moving her field of vision up just in time to see a small fist coming right down into her face.

"Score one for the little guy."

WHAP!

Skuld's body trembled, her entire being shaken to the core by what she'd just seen. _A mortal weapon that can cut through Divine magical protection._ Her knees buckled, the girl scarcely aware she wasn't standing any longer, driven to the ground by shock alone. _A weapon mortals can power, one that can _kill_ Divine beings._

"Phew." Shoulders slumping, Kevin leaned backwards against the body behind him. "That was kind of a rough one... This thing takes a lot of mana to use."

Saber nodded, supporting the boy with an arm around his waist. "I am surprised that there are any mortals alive in your era that can power it."

"Ght." Startled, Kevin remembered just _who_ exactly he was leaning against. "S-sorry!" He would have moved, stood up under his own power, if only that arm around him wasn't as unyielding as steel. He struggled a little, before giving up entirely. He hadn't even budged that arm a quarter-inch. "I'm technically not from this era. Or even this dimension, for that matter."

"...I see." Saber was somewhat familiar with otherworldly beings, as Excalibur _was a Fairy sword,_ after all.

"Anyway, I don't have time to catch my breath." Kevin tried to heave himself upright again. "I need to catch up to Kanna, before she gets herself into trouble again."

Frowning, Saber gently pushed the boy upright fully, then turned to walk along-side the boy.

"Er, you're coming too?"

Nodding, the blonde woman seemed to have 'serious' locked-in as her default expression. "I wish to see how this ends."

"Heh, well, alright. But it's gonna be messy." Still clutching the pistol, Roland's gun, in his hand, Kevin couldn't help but look down at it. _I still can't believe that this is... I've had my hands on __something _thisamazing_ all this time? I really am a dunce sometimes._

"I am accustomed to messy."

"Wait!"

Both of them paused, glancing back over their respective shoulders at the call.

"That's it? You're just going to walk away?" Still on her knees, hands fisting the hem of her shirt, Skuld glared at the two.

"Well, yeah." Kevin shrugged a shoulder. "I'm not like _you_, I can't just decided to _murder_ someone on a whim." Nodding at Saber, he turned and resumed walking.

"Ugh, I-" Staring at their backs, the young Goddess' cheeks flamed red for a moment. "I-I-" Tears welling up in her eyes, Skuld began sputtering. _Onee-san would be so disappointed in me._ "Uuuuu... Uuuu... Uuwaaa!" Unable to hold it in any longer, the girl began bawling, tears streaming down her face. _She'd hate me for this._ "Uuwwaaaa! I'm s-s-sorry!"

Heedless of the noise, Kevin walked on, firmly gripping the heavy pistol in one hand. His other hand fisted pantleg, keeping the arm out of his new companion's sight.

"You're not going to go back for her?" Saber leaned over a bit, peering into the boy's face with wide eyes.

"Nope." His jaw tightened, but Kevin continued on without breaking his stride. "She tried to kill me, Kanna, and she thought she was doing the _right thing_." His teeth ground together. "She never even once stopped to ask herself if it was wrong. She can cry until she passes out, for all I care." _I'm really starting to see why Mato hates _this_ God. He's an a-_

"I understand." Nodding to herself, Saber felt she understood the boy a little better now. Mercy was his revenge, how appropriate, since the victim suffered for much longer, yet still had the potential to redeem themself.

If they were strong enough.

"Oh-kay... This what you get for refusing to listen to meee... Wah!" Tripping over her own feet, Kanna pitched over onto the ground, rolling over once, and coming back up on her knees. "If you hadn't been so damn stubborn and let me heal you up, we wouldn't be on the verge of blacking out." Panting, Kanna ran a hand over her back as best she could reach. A soft green light shone, penetrating through the tattered, blood-stained, formerly yellow tunic.

"Aaand you're already unconscious, aren't you? Super." Sighing, the little girl trudged on, barely able to even keep her eyes focused. "I'm totally blaming you for all of this... Such a... Pain in my..." The world pitched about her, and she could see the 'ground' rushing towards her face. "A-aahhhh..."

She barely even felt it when she landed, sprawled out.

She barely even heard anything, though she was dimly aware of a voice.

"Oh my! Are you alright?" A kind, and gentle, though alarmed voice. So familiar. "Sigel, please help me get her inside."

The sound of feet thumping over hardwood, coming closer. A gasp of surprise.

_Heh, hardwood floors in Heaven. I must be in the ritzy part of town. Man, I hate to say it..._ Blackness crept over her vision, drowning everything out. _But where the hell am I now?_

Chapter end, dammit!

Gaaah! That took so damn long to write. I kept getting interrupted.

Before anyone complains, I was sick for a month. A _whole_ month. The sickest I've ever been in my life. Fever, chills, sweats. I was so stuffed up, I was luck if I could breathe properly three minutes out of a single day.

If I fell asleep for longer than twenty minutes, I'd wake up in a pool of my own sweat. I'd spend about thirty or so hours awake, pass out during the daylight hours for... Maybe four hours if I was lucky, then it was another thirty hours awake again. Utterly miserable the whole time.

But I didn't die! And I brought twenty extra chapters with me! Mwahahaha!

No, but seriously, it took me a month to fully recover from that. I worked on this chapter on and off, and I thought 'I should make it a double chapter, since I missed out posting while I was sick'.

Then I did a little more, and thought 'I missed posting a month before I was sick, too, I should make it a triple'.

Then I wrote some more, because I needed to post for this month, too.

Then I just threw my hands in the air and kept on writing up until I felt like stopping, dammit.

And here we are. Just a hair over four entire chapters rolled-up into one huge-ass megachapter.

And now I go on vacation.

Ha.

Review replies before I rant on some more!

Deuce- Thankee kindly.

swk3000- I understand where you're coming from, but as for pre-existing assumptions and what-not; This is fanfiction. You, by default, _have_ to have some, or else you wouldn't be reading fanfiction in the first place. Whatever I established aside, it's still Takahashi's Kasumi Tendo.

Admittedly, one with a bit more brain-power than the regular one, but hey, what can I say?

Frankly, if you find yourself asking, erm... Yourself, if a death of a character is actually real or not, I think I've actually done my job fairly well. Now, if your first thought instead had been 'what a hack of a writer' well... Then I've got problems.

Plus, y'know, my hand-wave for why the Tendos and Saotomes are out of the picture; Mourning and crying. Which I don't wanna write in. I know I should have thrown a scene in there for that, but...

Anyway, I appreciate you clarifying your feelings. I have to agree with you, I _should_ have eased Kasumi into the story a few chapters sooner, but I thought I might wind up giving something away if I did that. I will know better next time. I always do enjoy constructive criticism, because I become a better writer through it. Or at least I can pretend that I'm improving. Har har.

luger 7- Ha, glad you had a good time reading it.

Pryde Kitty- Sometimes you scare me, when you mention down to the number of words I wrote into a particular chapter. Should I be buying another lock for my door? All kidding aside, quality over quantity, and all that...

So you should be _freaking ecstatic _over the damn size of this one! Love it! Or I will come at you like uh... Uh... A writer, who comes after a dedicated... Reader... Type, person?

... Look, just enjoy the writing, ok? I tapped out all my wit and clever wordplay on it.

Seriously though, glad to see you're still with us... As long as you don't_ actually_ come for me in the middle of the night.

Meep.

Phew. With all this damn work, I'm suddenly wishing I had made it a trilogy like I'd planned in the first place. Oh well, we're in the home-stretch now.

... Aside note, it was incredibly draining for me to keep building up the plot like that, hitting a crescendo, then drop it back down again like four freaking times! Gaaah. If you feel fatigue while reading the thing... Wait, I'm gonna note this at the top instead.

Ha, so now you know what I was talking about back then. Hilarious.

Anyway, enjoy. Make tons of notes, and fill the review box with oodles of questions.

Make a wiki.

Help me take over the world.

Well, maybe skip that last one... Though the wiki thing might be cool. Go forth my minions!

... I'm not allowed to use that word anymore, am I?

Dammit.

Until next time...


	25. Chapter 25

"Ugh, I was almost getting used to not being knocked out like a fifty-yen lightbulb." Groaning, Kanna put a hand to her head as she sat up. She sounded quite weary and bitter, for someone who looked like they were about ten years old. _Aaand it seems like the kid's still out. Super._ The futon felt nice and soft, and the blanket was light, to go with the mild 'weather' of Heaven. The room itself was simple, and cheery in design. Blue walls, green tatami mats, white ceiling. It was like being outside on a nice day, almost. Definitely a guest-room.

Rubbing her face, she noted that it had healed up. _Surprised I didn't break the nose when I hit the ground. Well, I'm used to being a walking tank, I don't think anyone would actually blame me._ A careful examination of herself did not match what she'd expected at all. _Hmph, ok, somebody healed me, and did laundry. _Picking at the cleaned and mended tunic for a moment, Kanna yawned and stretched her arms over her head. _Welp, time to get up and make everyone else's day a living hell. Ah, the joys of being an aberration._

She froze, however, at the door to the small room she was laying in suddenly sliding open, and a voice.

"Oh, you're awake."A soft, and gentle voice.

_Oh crap oh crap oh crap._ Tensing up, she was suddenly torn between running, and punching herself in the head, just so she wouldn't have to deal with what was coming next.

"Are you feeling better now?" Light brown hair cascaded down the woman's shoulders, framing her pale, lovely face. Despite the smile, there was a hint of worry, of kind concern in her voice. She was dressed simply, just a navy blue skirt and a light, long-sleeved, creme colored blouse.

_Crap crap craaaaaap!_ Kanna's body trembled now. If she didn't do something quick, she'd- _Stay in the door, stay in the d-_

Walking over, the woman put a hand to Kanna's brow. "Are you feeling warm? You were only unconscious for a few minutes." Smiling, she gently smoothed out the little albino girl's snowy locks. "You seem to be well."

_Argh._ Bowing her head a little, Kanna mumbled something.

"Hmm?"

"I said 'I'm fine, thank you'." Biting her bottom lip, Kanna clenched her hands into fists. _I always hate running into her._

"You're welcome. I'm relieved that you're well." Stepping back, the woman bowed her head, bangs brushing against the blue triangles on her brow and cheeks. "I am Belldandy, pleased to meet you."

_Dammit._ "I, um... I'd rather not introduce myself, if it's all the same to you. Sorry." Bowing, Kanna felt her hands twitching. _Need to get out of here, quick._ "I should be going."

"Oh, well." Lifting her head, Belldandy looked surprised. "Won't you stay for tea?"

"I-"

BAM!

"Where is she?" A voice bellowed from somewhere else in the house. "Where's the little rat who punched me in the face?"

_Oh thank God, it's a Goddess come to kill me._ "Excuse me, that's for me." Darting around Belldandy, Kanna sprinted towards where the voice was coming from, well aware of the irony in her thoughts. _I've never been so glad that people see me as the bad guy as I am right now._ "Coming!"

"Yo, I'm here." Glancing about, Mato frowned at the decor that was essentially in the heart of Hell. Simple stone, and woodwork, it looked more like something out of the sixteenth century than the Pit of the Damned. "Nice place."

"Hmhm, why thank you." Sitting upon a throne of carved red wood, Hild was clad in a purple dress that looked a lot like the ones Urd wore into battle, long and flowing, but cut to expose her legs and arms, a darker shade of color than royal blue, though the expressive gold edging and bare shoulders design were the same. Not much of a surprise to the invader.

"Um, what's up with the wood chair?" Mato gestured with one finger, his arms busy supporting the unconscious Goddess. "Shouldn't that be made out of stone, or skulls, or souls screaming in agony?"

"Too cold, too hard, too loud." Sighing, Hild crossed one leg over the other, resting one elbow upon an arm of her throne. "Plus, magic. Do I look silly enough to not have a heat-proof chair?" Resting her cheek in the palm of the hand propped on the arm of her seat, she ignored how her forearm pressed against her chest, making her cleavage heave upwards a few inches. Perhaps she did it on purpose. Most likely, since the middle third of her chest was bare, by design of the dress.

"Ah." Shrugging, Mato moved across the room, which was more like a study than the massive throne room he'd pictured. Thinking for a moment, as he set Urd down in one of the empty chairs, he shot the Queen of Hell a glance. "Lemmie guess; Private office, and the throne room is somewhere else and covered with spikes?"

"Oh-ho." Amused, Hild shrugged a shoulder. "Burning pitch, and raw iron spikes, but yes, a very good guess." Her hair was bound up in an extravagant array of sweeping spikes and flowing bangs, almost impossibly done, were she a mere mortal. Unlike a Goddess, upon her brow was a red six-pointed star, a pair of matching five-point stars adorning her cheeks. "So, have you come to pledge yourself to me?"

"Hm?" Puzzled, he shot her another glance, busy trying to keep Urd from slumping to either side, and falling off of the simple wooden chair.

She gestured with a finger, pointing at his body. "You've ingested so much Demonic energy from my minions, all the Infernal power from the very realm itself. Surely you're quite corrupted by now." Her dark purple eyes roved up and down his form. Last time they'd met, his hair was as black as coal. Now, it was shining like rubies drawn into threads, and engorged so much, that it nearly touched the ground.

"Yeah, and?"

_So amusing._ Smiling, Hild switched arms, leaning to the other side in her throne. She'd never met a soul like him before, so defiant, and unchanged despite all the corruption that warped his very body and essence. "And now, aren't you ready to give up your little crusade, your vow of retribution? You could serve in Hell..." Her smile turned slightly frosty. "I could even let you roam the Kingdom of Man, if you wished. Angel, Goddess, Mortal. Any that cross you, I would allow you to do as you wanted to them."

"Pff, that's pretty hands-off for you, ain't it?"

"Not so." Hild's smile thawed once more. "I've seen how you move, how you hunt." She idly spun a finger, twirling a stark white lock of hair about it. "Unlike all my minions, those of powers that classify as 'Calamity of Existence', you are one I'd never need to reign in. You're the only one who could retain control, without the threat of madness."

Mato was silent.

"I've never ran into another such as Him before." Hild rubbed her index finger and thumb together, twining the loops of hair on her digit into a ring of many strands. "Even He fell prey to his own powers, and he spurned me long after we'd separate amicably. It was... So unlike him."

"Pff, that doesn't surprise me, y'know."

For an instant, Hild looked shocked, perhaps even a little hurt.

"What makes you think he's Him?"

"What?"

"It is true, sir." Saber shook her head to dispel another burst of surprised disbelief from the young man. "I am the figured known as 'King Arthur' in this... Dimension, you said?"

"Geez, I knew my world was different, but this is something else entirely." Kevin just couldn't believe his ears, or the voice in the back of his head.

_Weird or what kid? I just couldn't picture her with that beard... Hey, did I ever tell you what Merlin looked like?_

_Yeah, when I was watching Jurassic Park._ Kevin shook his head, hunching his shoulders. There were few things in his life he could think of that were so fundamentally distracting, that he'd actually dropped a full glass of Tang on the rug in his bedroom, but having someone in your head yell 'Holy crap, it's Merlin!' was one of them.

He'd gotten an earful from his mother too, about ruining a perfectly good flying carpet, too.

And considering that his mom was an avatar for a nature Goddess, communicating from an Astral plane, that lecture had been as weird as hell. It also didn't help that while she hadn't been _born_ that way, she'd been _drafted_ into it, and couldn't retake mortal or even corporeal form for an undefined period of time, she pretty much used her allotment of Divine power to teleparent. All. The. Time.

"God, I have a weird life."

"W-what?"

"Oh, nothing, sorry." Kanna vaulted off of the wooden support pillar, slamming feet-first into another one across the small courtyard. "Didn't mean to distract you from trying to kill me and all." Arching her back, she spun around the pillar, gripping the wood with the fingertips of one hand.

"Argh!" Peorth's whip lashed about, this way and that. Even enhancing the vine-whip with a pair of songs, one to speed it up, another to make it seek the girl on its own, still she could not land a single blow. "Sit still so I can get you! And stop calling me a murderer!"

"No, and I didn't really mean it." Vaulting off of the pillar, as the vine-whip curled about it, swelled, and extended to continue following along, Kanna landed on the walkway outside the Japanese-styled home, performing a series of backwards handsprings. "You're more of a would-be murder, in this case.

"Aaaarrrgh!" Peorth poured more Divine energy into the whip, making it faintly crackle and hum as it sped up and continued to stretch, grow, and chase the girl.

Chuckling, Kanna rolled to the side as the vine swept at her face, springing up onto her feet and bolting directly at the frustrated Goddess. _Man, this is too much fun. I can't remember the last time I got to kick some ass without anything but my own butt on the line._ Of course, that was only half-true. Kanna, the _real_ Kanna, was merely without consciousness. Sooner or later, she would wake up. "Anyway, I'm kind of in a rush, so... Time to end this."

"Eh?" Peorth stared, frozen-up, as the little girl rushed straight at her. _No way. Kamikaze-style attack?_ Panicked, she poured even more energy into the whip, making it crackle loudly. The hum swiftly rose in pitch, becoming a shriek, making the entire length resonate.

"And now you lose." Grinning, Kanna stopped on a dime, ducking and hugging her knees to her chest.

For a moment, everything seemed to freeze, as Peorth stared down at the girl, who grinned up at the Goddess.

"Whap."

Then the end of the forgotten vine-whip smacked the Goddess in the nose, sending her flying _through_ one of the wooden walls of the home, an instant before the whip overloaded and _exploded_ into bits of plant matter and cinders.

"Hehe, totally shoulda seen that one coming y'know." Standing up, Kanna brushed herself off, looking around at the mess she'd made of the courtyard. "Whoops. I'm gonna hear it for this one." Sighing, she put her hands on her hips, tilting her head to the side. _Depressing thought, that one is._

_... Amazing. You tricked her._

_Oh, so you've been awake this whole time, have you?_

_... Yes._

_Well, whatever. I hope you were taking notes. Always take the chance to screw with your enemies, if they're the type that're on the fence about fighting you. Then tell them that they lost because they couldn't commit to the battle._

_I see._

_Oh, but make sure first that you're actually in the right, and have some proof of it. Otherwise, you just look like a total jerk, and probably will make them side against you._

_Oh._

_So, proof, moral high-ground, and the ability to easily kick their asses. Three things you need to be just like me... Minus the whole 'being a jerk' thing. That's optional._

"Oh my, Peorth."

"Ah, crap." Sighing again, Kanna hadn't noticed that Belldandy had been watching the entire fight. That she'd shown up right away, after it had ended was proof enough. _I hate this part._

_Because she makes you feel guilty for being a bad person?_

_I- ch... Geez. Do you mind? _

_... I don't think you're a bad person..._

_Well I do. So leammie alone._

_I can't go anywhere._

_Figure of speech. I- ch. I'll explain later, alright? _Sighing yet again, Kanna shook her head, putting her hands to the sleeves of her opposite arms. "I really don't have time to goof around here, all things considered."

"Well I'm not done yet." Clambering through the hole she'd been projected straight through, Peorth leaned heavily on Belldandy's helping hand. "So wait right there." Her clothes were in decent shape, since there was hardly anything to them. Her body, on the other hand, was scraped and bleeding all over.

"Peorth, you shouldn't fight again, you're hurt." A worried frown on her lips, Belldandy felt conflicted. "Neither of you should be fighting at all. This is Heaven, and-"

"Save it Belldandy, I ain't dead y'know." Tugging, Kanna tore the sleeves from the tunic, throwing them on the ground. "Also, I ain't a little girl... Well, ok. _Technically _I am, but that doesn't count right now... Sort of." Grumping, she crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm a sliver of Mato's soul, riding in this kid's body. So come'n get yer bounty, Goddess. I'm still good to go, and I just put your sorry ass through a wall." Smirking, she drummed the fingers of one hand against her bicep, waiting.

She was ready for Peorth to lunge at her, which she did.

Neither, however, was ready for Belldandy to dart between them, and lightly tap Kanna on the nose with a finger. "That's no way for a girl to behave, no matter who she thinks she is."

Kanna put both hands to her nose, stung more by the action, than the non-existent force that had been used. "Ow! What the hell Belldandy?" _That actually hurt!_ "Do I _sound_ like I'm not a thirty-something guy who happens to be a universal aberration with a multi-fragmented soul?"

"Er." Peorth's mouth twitched at one corner. In truth, watching Belldandy had been more stunning than the horrifying revelation from the little girl. Also, it was a little off-putting to find out that the person who'd been soundly thrashing you the entire time, was actually a grown man. _Wait, does this mean he was _flirting_ with me before?_ "Errrk."

"That's no excuse. Both of you, apologize, now." Frowning, Belldandy held up her index finger, as if threatening to use it again against any party that objected.

"Errr..." Staring at the finger for a moment, Kanna glanced away. _Good grief. Why the hell can't I even muster a 'no'?_ Sighing, she held out a hand to Peorth, still looking away. "... M'sorry I kicked your ass."

Disturbed at the entire prospect, Peorth glanced at the proffered hand, then at Belldanday. It was immediately obvious that the Goddess was _not_ kidding around. Taking the hand, Peorth shook it. "I'm sorry I bled you half to death."

"There, isn't that better?" What would have sounded sarcastic coming from anyone else's mouth, sounded like a sincere belief that everything had been resolved, when Belldandy said it. "Shall we go have tea now?"

_Argh, seriously? _"Look; Any other day, I might say yes." Chewing her lip, Kanna pulled her hand away from Peorth's. "But right now, I've really gotta go and get Ukyo's soul away from God before he tortures her or something."

Peorth froze up. She'd heard the girl mention something about a soul before, but to hear a little girl so candidly voice such a thought... It was blasphemy, pure and simple. Worse, she wasn't sure that the girl was wrong.

"Oh." Belldandy blinked. "I should stop you then."

Frowning, Kanna stared up at the Goddess. "But you already know the truth... Don't you?"

Hanging her head, Belldandy merely closed her eyes, not saying a word.

This only sent a chill down Peorth's spine. _Belldandy isn't- she's not saying she's wrong?_ She felt her world beginning to fracture. Both she and Belldandy were First Class Goddesses, Unlimited License. They were among the most powerful beings in Heaven, barring the Almighty Himself. She'd always thought they were equally matched, but Belldandy... _She's always in a league of her own, isn't she?_

"So, I'm just gonna go now." Turning, Kanna began walking away. "You can come and watch, if you'd like. I can tell you that 'this' me, isn't gonna be the one to do the ass-kicking." A thought occurred to her. "Oh, and send in K1, wouldja? There's gonna be a moment, I'm thinking, when the calvary is gonna be needed."

Surprised, Belldandy raised her head, staring at the girl. "Have we... Met before?"

Smirking, Kanna shot a look back. "You may never have met me, but I've certainly met you." She waved over her shoulder. "Belldandy is Belldandy, no matter where I run into her. Look after your annoying friend for me, would you? I don't have the time to be all nice and patch her up, and she looks like crap."

Growling, Peorth clenched her hands into fists. "Oooh, you little rat! When this is over, I'm gonna-"

"Please, do you have any idea how many times I've heard that?" Kanna didn't slow her pace. "If you aren't coming at me with the intent to kill, you don't stand a chance. Heh, even then, the best you can hope for is fifty-fifty odds." _Alright God, here I come. I may not be the right one to take you on, but I at least wanna get a couple of punches in. I've earned that right, at least._

_What about me?_

_You? You get to watch, up close and extra-personal, while I do something not even Angels can dream of._

_What's that?_

_I'm gonna call God a dick, them I'm gonna smack him in the face for all the crap he puts me through._ Grinning, Kanna shifted into a light jog, shaking her hands out in preparation. It had been a little while since she'd had the chance to fight with a severe handicap. The last time, she'd been missing an eye, in a crap-storm of a body, and fighting a Demon.

_Oh, is this ever gonna be fun._

Chapter end!

Sorry this is a little late, but vacation, and being lazy, and a family reunion will do that.

At least it's only a little late, right? Eh heh.

Really, what do I say about this one? I know I used up my quota of bitching in the last chapter... Also, you guys were sweethearts, being so nice to me. More about that in the replies.

This chapter isn't too actiony, I know. This one is all about moving forward. There is a little conflict, but mainly, it's about setting up the inevitable ending.

Things I wanted to do this chapter, that I left out for pacing and flow:

I wanted to have Infernal-Mato go on about crusades a little, rather than glibly brush the comment off.

I wanted Kanna-Mato, and Kanna too, to spend more time with Belldandy.

I wanted to explain K1... But that would ruin any surprise it might have.

I didn't plan on contrasting what the home of a Goddess, and the home of the 'Devil' looked like, but I guess I kinda did, didn't I? I got to show more of a playful, wistful side of Hild, I hope, giving her more dimension than just a tempting force.

I got to finally figure out just what the hell is up with Kevin's mother. This was something I did not have figured out for years, ever since I was working on... Chapter seven or eight of the story he debuted in. I had known that for whatever reason, she was not 'alive' as it were, and yet somehow took care of her twin children.

I just didn't know how.

For me, this is like finding a chapter hidden in a book you've read a few times before, one that you somehow always missed.

It's also as random as hell, and goes a long way into explaining why Kevin is just so darn weird. One of these days, I might actually finish telling his story. I'll tell you right now though, it should come as no surprise that he doesn't end up with Shampoo.

I tried working that one out. Always getting the girl is a stupid thing to put into a story more than once. Ranma got Akane. I don't need to shoehorn more 'and then they were in love forever' stuff for no reason.

Sometimes a story is nice _because_ it has a sad ending. Which one do you remember more? Happy generic ending story number fifty three...

Or the way my last one ended?

And there's my ego padding of the night.

What do I have planned for the future? Well, as far as fanfiction goes, I'm mentally writing chapters of Kanna's story in the ten to twenty range inside my head, just randomly as it comes. I've thought of a circular, time-loop, Inuyasha reference... Boy, are you guys gonna have to remind me of this one when the time comes. I just know I'm gonna forget it.

Belldandy was written into this chapter solely to set-up something I'm gonna use for the ending. Without giving anything away, I didn't want it to be so damn random-seeming, and it'll give me a chance to use a snappy line for the scene too.

Well, that, and to make you think she was Kasumi. Show of hands; How many of you were hoping it was Kasumi at the end of the last chapter?

Utterly nice characters are the bane of Mato's existence. It's hard to act like a jerk around people who make you feel bad in comparison, simply by hanging out.

... What happened to the obligatory bathing scenes? It sure seemed like this was the place for one, wasn't it? I blame that on the truncated time window. Mato is just screaming his way through Hell, everyone else has to do the same through Heaven. That's why Kanna was only out for a few minutes.

Of course, I justify that by saying that it took a few minutes for her body to generate new blood, even with the healing factor.

Of course, there's also the anger issue. Negative emotions are a big drawback for powering your attacks, as you saw last chapter. Kanna was chomping at the bit, trying to get at Peorth. In her defense, she's only really a few months old, give her time to get used to being human.

Mato is... Really Zen, for a guy who fights, and swears, and dies a lot, y'know?

Review Reply Time!

Pryde Kitty- Sticker on forehead? Crosseyed, oh noes! Sorry to be a monkey's paw writer and answerer of questions, but nobody saved Kanna from falling. She smacked her nose. Har har. Sidenote, did you know that tomatos irritate your bladder? Weird, gross, and true, all at once.

Glad I could deliver some entertainment when you needed it. Thank you for the well-wishes.

As for your threats, I must remind you, should you kill me, I can't exactly do any more writing, can I? Smug smug. In all seriousness, glad you liked the mega-chapter, don't expect another one that big, as I plan on keeping up until I end this story.

... Aside from light delays.

ScourgeOTG- Hah! Was it really that time-consuming to read? One of these days, I should get a stopwatch and read that chapter out. It sure LOOKED huge in my typing window, that's for sure.

It sure does suck being seriously ill, doesn't it? I know how you feel about being cooped up though, as a child, I had a short bout of being allergic to sunlight, lasting from mid-may, to early september. I could either bundle up completely, or stay inside.

For the entire summer.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is when I taught myself to speed read.

Oh, and I was bedridden and legally crippled for a year a few years back. That sucked too.

And the year I spent bedridden, mostly unconscious, and in the dark, with severe migranes, I... Geez, I spend a lot of time in bed in my stories, don't I?

This is why I write, I guess. Don't have to be a hundred percent to do it. Because, boy, am I usually NOT a hundred percent.

... Wait, did you say enough sharing illness stories?

... Craaap.

Anyway, here's another chapter, hopefully it makes up for the delay. I can't promise lack of delays, but I can promise that I will make up for them, if you'll keep reading.

You will, won't you?

Once again, thanks for the reviews everyone. It really makes it feel worthwhile to keep plugging away at this thing. Always brings a smile to my face, too.

Y'know, when I write these chapters, sometimes I take a few days to do them, sometimes I listen to music while I do them too.

Most of the time, I'll load up a song on youtube... And forget to listen to the damn thing, while I just bang out a chapter in about two hours.

Am I stupid or what?

Anyway, next chapter might not be the end, but it sure will be the beginning of the end. Face to face with Hild. Standing on the threshold of God himself. Two of the same vagrant, two opposing Deific forces. If they aren't going to move, they're going to be knocked down, and _stepped over._

Until next time.


	26. Chapter 26

"What is it that you're trying to say?" Hild did not look amused, and who could blame her?

"Oh, my. You mean you can't tell?" Smirking, Mato crossed his arms over his chest. For a moment, the Lord of Hell was forgotten, as he rubbed a long lock of ruby-red hair between his fingers. _Boy, I sure hope this washes out... Wait, does concentrated evil wash out in the bath?_

Gritting her teeth, Hild's pride kept her from asking him to explain, _again_. It also kept her from smashing his face against the ground, and bursting it open like an over-ripe melon.

"Hmm? Oh, right." Shrugging a shoulder, Mato let the hair drop from his fingers, tilting his head to the side a touch as he smiled smugly. "I'm offering _you_ a deal with the Devil."

_Ma~an, I should've known this wasn't gonna be _that_ easy after all._ Sighing, Kanna wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth. _Think we're running out of blood again._ Shaking her head to clear the fuzzyness that was edging into her vision, she clenched her teeth together. _Well, hell. Brace yourself for this one._

Schlkt!

The sound of meat sliding against bone was, disturbing, to say the least. Rotating her re-set shoulder a few times, Kanna put a hand to her chest, probing gently at her torso. _And... Punctured lung's healed up nicely. _Sighing, the small girl looked about the anteroom she'd lingered in for too long. _Heh, somebody's gonna be pissed at how we redecorated._

The room, once made of flawless marble and glass, was now a ruin. Shattered stone trickled to the ground, broken frames no longer held panes of crystalline glass, but jagged rims around their edges, painted with blood and adorned with small scraps of cloth. Several bodies were scattered about the room, Guardian Goddesses, mostly. Here and there Heaven's fighting elite, the Valkyrie, also lay amongst the fallen defenders.

_I don't feel well..._

_Yeah, well, what do you expect? We nearly died twice back there, and you're practically running on fumes._ Shaking her head, Kanna began walking again, shaking her arms. The tingling sensation refused to abate, hinting at just how little blood was running through the small girl's veins. _Gotta work on expanding those Chi reserves of yours, I'm used to having much more to work with._

_... I... I don't feel..._

_You said that already._ Snorting, Kanna brushed a hank of bloody hair out of her face, climbing through the remains of a set of massive wooden doors. _If you're gonna complain every time we almost die, you're gonna be repeating yourself a whole lot._ Sighing, she trudged onward.

"I am sorry Kevin, I would aid you, but I am not very adept at unar-"

"I know, I know!" Backing up against Saber, Kevin flailed his arms about, desperately trying to keep the pair of attacking Einherjar from getting a hold on him. _Just my luck, Viking wrestlers. Who the heck planned this ambush?_

For her part, Saber focused on backing up as quickly as she could. Keeping one palm flat against the teen's back, she continued to retreat, making sure the footing was clear. She would _not_ allow him to trip and fall victim to the pair of warriors because of her lack of care.

_Someone who knew you were a gun-slinging wizard, obviously._

_Oh._ Frowning, Kevin realised that the voice in his head was right, as usual. Without Roland's gun, he couldn't do much, unless he used magic. Staring grimly between the two snarling, bearded men, as they threw themselves at the teenager, the boy's eyes were locked on the pistol laying on the ground. Fifteen feet away might as well have been fifteen miles. _Hey, I can't win this one, so I'm tagging out._

_Giving up?_

_Nope._ Kevin gave ground again, as yet another swipe narrowly missed seizing hold of his yellow tunic. _But I can't afford to screw around here and barely win. You know I'd try normally, if-_

_Yeah yeah. Fate of this world on the line. I know White Knight, I know._

_Heh, flatterer. _Hopping back, Kevin let his arms drop to his sides, shoulders slumping. _So, once again, oh Divine one, my body and my life is in your possession._ The boy's head drooped, and he slumped forward, face partially hidden by his hair. _Do with it as you will, I've no care. _In spite of himself, Kevin could feel his lips twisting into a grin on their own. _Fell deeds and fire await my foes... Grim tidin-_

_What the hell are you talking about?_

_What? Oh, sorry. I'm trying to compose a spell. Didn't realise you could still hear me._

_Whatever. Do your thing._ Kevin's head tipped back up, glittering green eyes focusing on the two bearded men as they rushed the teen once more. _I'll do mine._ Hands clenched into fists, held at his hips, arms bent, drawing muscle taut. "Ok boys, time to show you how I do things."

Naturally, the Norsemen of old paid little heed to the boy's slightly deeper voice, nor his changed expression and stance. They'd been tasked with suppressing the King of Knights, and the boy travelling with her, and they would do whatever it took to accomplish that goal. Reaching out, each set a hand upon the boy's shoulders, seizing hold of his too-loose shirt sleeves.

Pity they didn't stand a chance.

Twisting in place, the boy turned, and his sleeves ripped away like tissue paper. _There we go, more my style._ Snapping one arm backwards in a blind elbow strike, Kevin's other arm curled about in a right hook. Both blows connected at once, catching each ascended-human in the temple, sending them reeling. "Whap."

Reversing his twist, the teenager uncurled his body in a blur of ferocious violence. One knee slammed up into the first Viking's face, shattering his nose, splashing bright blood upon the ground, lifting the man's feet from the ground. In the same motion, the arm on the same side of Kevin's body whipped up, around, and down. The sharp _crack_ of knuckles meeting the back of the second Viking's skull sounded out an instant before his face rammed into the ground, crumpling his nose against his face as if it were silly putty.

There was a thud as the first man struck the ground behind the boy, laying motionless where he'd landed.

Straightening up, Kevin frowned. _Wish there'd been a couple more guys. I almost never get to combo up attacks these days. _Sighing, the boy tore a strip off of the hem of his tunic, wrapping it around his forehead. "Alright, good to go."

"Ah, there are-" Saber pointed behind Kevin, lips parted.

_Figures._ Jerking his body into motion, twisting to the side, Kevin had enough time to watch the head of the iron bolt narrowly miss his throat. _Oooh, nasty. Ah, I'll be taking this._ Continuing his twist, nimble fingers moved, deftly plucking the stout shaft from its flight. _It was aimed to hit the girl too._

The shooter, a short female with green hair, pointed ears, and a grim look upon her face, was already cocking her bow's wire back once more. Clenched between her teeth was a second bolt, and her narrow eyes fixed upon the teenaged boy. She would not miss a second time.

The blur of yellow that appeared before her seemed to agree with that sentiment, as he wrenched the weapon from her slim little hands. "Yoink!" Twisting about again, he slung one hoop of the bow over the girl's head, tugging it to the side. "G'night." He flashed her a quick smile.

Shocked at the sheer speed the boy had displayed, the sudden smile threw her off even further. She was-

_Click-twang!_

Rendered unconscious the moment the strung wire smacked her skull into the rigid arm of her crossbow. The girl fell bonelessly to the ground, laying in a little heap.

A few yards away, the bolt Kevin had caught clattered to the ground.

Letting out a sigh, the teen rubbed his fingers together, alternating twisting his wrists, turning his palms up and down as he moved his hands. "Getting better, getting better." _I've got a level to work with now, after that little merger with my other self and the squirt._ Shaking out his hands, the boy began walking, stepping over the girl, having already forgotten her the instant she'd ceased to be a threat. _About the same as that crappy imitation body the physical incarnation of me had, right up at the end._

Saber stared at the boy's back, sure she was not seeing the same person she'd spoken to not minutes ago. _Another man walks in his bones, I am sure of it. _Staring for a moment longer, she began to follow along. _This one is a warrior, not a mage like the boy._ She paused, only to stoop and collect the pistol from the ground, an almost absent gesture. Though the weapon was from another world, it still called out to its former bearer, muted as that call was. _Kevin will need this, when he returns to his body. It is not my sword, at any rate, but his._

_And I'm gonna push that point straight to the raw edge if I have to._ Frowning, Kevin sped up, breaking into a long-striding lope, carrying himself several yards with every bounding step. _Gotta push it, if I wanna be the first one to get a hold of God, before anyone beats me to beating him._

"And we're here." Wiping a patch of mixed sweat and blood from the underside of her jaw, Kanna was on the verge of panting. The feeling of being empty, utterly drained, was to the point now that she could barely think. It was so hard now to walk.

To stand.

To breathe.

A pity the sliver of soul within her own was like an iron rod, refusing to bend, to break.

Clenching and unclenching one hand, over and over again, the small girl stared at the ivory building before her. Arches of perfect, unblemished marble, and domes and angular sheets of flawless crystal stood testament to the being that had constructed it. _What a tool._ Cocking her arm back, she dug deep, pulling at the dredges of her remaining reserves. She couldn't see a door, so it was time to make one. "Smashy smashy."

The wall _burst_ under the force of a single blow, showering marble outward in all directions. A boom as loud as thunder trailed fractions of a second behind the debris.

_Aw sh-_

The problem was, that it hadn't been Kanna who'd blown through the wall as if it were tissue paper. A white-gloved hand curled about her throat, slamming her thin body into the ground, hard enough to make Heaven shake.

"GHHKK!"

Rather than release the girl, the hand clutched tighter, lifting the small, broken body into the air. A stern expression was pasted across a pale face, framed by lavender hair. Flowing elegant robes, waist-length hair bound back in a loose tail, and an aura of superiority completed a picture of a being that had long-ago taken an interest in controlling the flow of this world's story.

"Y-you're-" Kanna's voice broke. She barely had the strength to gasp beneath the iron-firm fingers gripping her throat, and none to spare to attempt to pull them away. Hanging there limply, she croaked a few words, words that needed to be said, no matter the difficulty, or cost. "Such... A... Tool."

The man's face _twitched_, and his expression warped a little, fury eaking outward from behind that mask of an expression. The arm moved, and the little girl was flung into the ground hard enough that she didn't bounce, but simply broke against the ground.

And the girl simply lay where she'd impacted.

Frowning, the man stared down at the body. Then something struck him in the side of the head, and while the impact was barely noticeable, it _hurt_. Turning his head slightly, the man realised it was a pistol that had hit him, was tumbling to the ground. He hadn't expected to see such a thing.

Likewise, he also didn't expect a foot to lash out and collide with his chest. He had seen it coming, of course, but that had done him no good. As fast as his eyes had been, somehow, his body just had not been able to react in time to stop the attack. It mattered little to him, however, since he did not even flinch under the minuscule force of the blow.

"Stand aside!" Charging in, a mere blur of blue rushed past her companion, and Saber barrelled head-first into the man, only to be swatted aside like an errant leaf. Striking the ground, bouncing twice, then rolling to a stop, she lay motionless. King of Knights or not, Saber was still a mortal soul in the Kingdom of Heaven; She was bound by the same laws that all souls were.

However, not everyone in Heaven was a soul bound by law.

"Yo, dick." Cocking back an arm, Kevin's expression of mild irritation barely even reflected a tenth of the sheer fury he felt at that moment. Crimson threads of light wound out around his arm, meshing together over his fist, a high-pitched whine that rose to a painful keen, as the glow intensified to a near-blinding level. _Stay outta this one Mato. This fu-_

_Oh no I won't, I-_

_-er is **MINE.**_ Shoving aside that voice in his head, for the first time in his life, Kevin directly pitted his own will against his mental guardian. This was one thing he wanted, with every fibre of his being. So much so, that his mana had leaked out on its own, drawing the remains of his Chi reserves along with it, binding the two together into a mass of throbbing energy that threatened to come apart and take his arm with it. "**God Buster**."

_THOOM!_

There had been nothing elegant nor refined about the blow the teenager struck out with. He had simply planted his fist in the man's face as hard as he possibly could. He'd struck without care, without worry or regard to his own safety. The sheer recoil of the blow cracked most of the bones in his body, and shattered his fist instantly. He would have sworn that, if the blow had struck anyone he'd ever met in his life, they would have folded in half from the impact of the punch alone, and come apart at the seams from the energy he'd imbued it with.

The man he'd struck had simply taken a step back, his clothes barely ruffled by the attack.

"Oh, I hate you so much." Blood trickled out from Kevin's lips, the pain undiluted, since he'd shoved aside the consciousness that usually buffered such things for him. _No Chi to heal with, no energy at all to protect myself from firing off such a stupidly-powerful attack at point blank, and I think I just pissed off the only person who'd keep me alive for more than a micro-second. I am so dead._

_Nah, you're fine._

_Wh-_

_Yeah, I mean, I'd usually be mad at you hob-nobbing in on my action, but that was a pretty damn nice move... For all of the squat it did to him._ The voice almost sounded amused, considering the situation.

_So, you're not mad?_ Kevin could feel a few of his ribs were cracked, the rest just felt like they were _gone_. Even with all the pain and experience he'd had taking blows in the past few years, it easily rated as the worst he'd ever felt. No contest.

_Nah. I'd've tried to do the same thing in your position. I'm actually kinda proud of you, bein' a man at a time like this and all. You're probably gonna die in a minute or two, but still... Proud._

_Oh goodie. That's a small comfort._ Kevin could feel his consciousness begin to crumble as the pain began to fade. This, he recognised; He was beginning to black out. _Well, sorry about everything, but there was no way I could let that go... He smashed Kanna... And that other girl... Saber... Arthur... Whoever she is... Good luck..._

And then he was gone.

"Aaahhh crap."

_Crack!_

The man stood there, staring at the two broken children at his feet. He had expected more opposition, but he was hardly surprised by the outcome. He could simply not be opposed, nor matched by any living thing, for he was-

"Yo."

Startled, the man spun around at the voice. The only thing behind him was the partially-broken marble building.

Out of which, a man with long, ruby-red hair and dark clothing stepped. Black pants, and a matching tank-top that clung to him like a second skin contrasted sharply with that almost-gleaming hair. Frowning, the Infernally-charged man glanced at the two children laying on the ground. "... Yeah, you're really gonna have to pay for this, you realise."

The man _smiled_ frostily. "Hello Clarence, I've been waiting to meet you."

Mato returned the smile, just as coldly. "Hello God, I've been waiting to _beat_ you."

"Shall I ask how you managed to so cleverly slip into my realm, undetected?"

"Sure, go ahead." Shrugging a shoulder, Mato just stood there.

And God simply stared at him.

"Oh, you mean you're actually interested, and _not_ just being a pompous ass?" Smiling nastily, he shrugged again. "Hild lemmie use her backdoor into Heaven." A chuckle. "Oooh, what's with that surprised look? Surely you knew about that, right?"

God continued to stare, sure he hadn't reacted to the tainted man's comments.

"Well, well, well... Looks like I need to give you a surprise or two then, don't I?" He _flickered_ for a moment.

The next thing God knew, he was stumbling back, clutching at his face with one hand, the other held up to ward off the second blow that was sure to come. "Ghh!"

But didn't.

"Whoops, tough one, aren't you?" Standing just a pace to the side of where God had originally stood, Mato let his arm drop. "Personally, I'm a little surprised myself. I guess I sucked up a whole lot more Infernal energy than I'd expected."

Brushing gloved fingertips against the swiftly-forming bruise at the corner of his mouth, God frowned and let his hand drop to his side. "So, you killed the Devil and took her power. I'm disappointed in you. I had thought you were better than that."

"Oh, I am." Smirking, Mato pressed one fist against his hip.

"Allow me to rectify the mistake you've made." Lifting a hand-

Mato _flickered_ again.

"Gff!" God stepped back, reeling as his head rocked back upon his shoulders yet again. Again, the man had struck him before he could react, again, in the exact same place as before. Recovering quickly, he brushed at the corner of his mouth. "I-" He broke off, almost _startled_ at the sight of a small crimson stain on his formerly pristine white glove. "How-"

"Infernal energy, remember?" Grinning nastily, Mato stuffed both hands into his pockets, lightly bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, standing otherwise casually. "Yin and Yang and all that jazz."

Frowning, God lifted an arm. "I shall rectify that then." He had tolerated the man for far too long, it was time the Lord put the mortal interloper in his place, and he did so with a wave of his hand. A wide swath of the area _shimmered_, pure Divine energy sweeping out like a wall, washing over the broken building, and the corrupted man, too.

Closing his eyes, Mato let the wave wash over him. His bright red mane of ruby-spun hair billowed outward, decaying and breaking apart swiftly, drifting away from him on the almost-breeze that swept past.

"I have stripped you of your power." The man sounded very satisfied with himself, as he let his arm drop. "All your stolen energy is gone, and you are help..." He trailed off, staring in what could only be described as horror.

Because Mato stood there still, binding his coal-black hair into a braid, securing it with a strip of cloth taken from the hem of his tank-top. "There we go, Back in Black." Smirking, he stuffed his hands back into his pockets, bouncing on the balls of his feet again. "Surprised?"

"Th-that is _not_ possible."

"Well, normally, no." Shrugging a shoulder, Mato tilted his head to the side. "But since I layered that Infernal stuff over myself like that, it kinda took the brunt of your little God-mod wave. So, all you took from me is what I was willing to give up anyway."

"That is _not_ possible."

"Yeah? Y'know what else ain't possible?" Mato _flickered_.

This time, God lifted a hand, to ward off the blow he knew was coming. What he was not prepared for, was the sight of _three_ men coming towards him, stuttering in and out of sight as they all closed in upon him. "GFFF!" A fist smashed into his face, and he stumbled back several paces, droplets of crimson flying into the air.

The two after-images vanished, and Mato remained standing where he'd stopped, one hand splayed open and held out before his chest, his other hand clenched into a fist. A guard held close, yet not necessary. A straight punch that _should_ have been blocked, had the target of the blow been able to follow his movements.

God was _not_ a Martial Artist.

Mato _was._

"Surprised?" Smirking, a hint of fang peeking out from behind his lips, Mato let his arms drop. "You really shouldn't be. After all, only like can cut like." Shaking out his hands, he began to slowly walk towards God, shaking his head as if disappointed in the man practically cowering before him.

Standing shakily, the man mopped at his face with a hand, red staining his glove to the point that it dripped onto his robes in a continuous stream. "This cannot be! I. Am. God!"

"Pfft, ri~ight." Stopping just before 'God', Mato crossed his arms over his chest. "Face it buddy, ya ain't. You might have been able to fool everyone else in this dimension, and you might have been able to hide yourself from me as long as you skulked around up here, but once we met face-to-face I knew exactly who you were."

"Impos-"

"Shaddap." There was only one reason why he'd been able to wound 'God'. Only one reason why he was able to touch the untouchable. Only like could cut like. Only a being on the same level, possessing the same calibre of power, could injure such a being. Mato's expression vanished as if it had been switched off, and his voice shifted, becoming distorted. "**Second-generation DN Perfidy**."

Chapter end!

Ok, show of hands; Who saw that one coming?

Before I get to rambling, something sorta important; I'm moving.

Yes, that's why this chapter took me a while to finish and get out. Yes, that probably means the next couple of chapters will be delayed a bit. Yes, that means there's a lot of dust kicked up around my house, and making me miserable due to my year-round allergies.

Well, ok, that last one didn't have much to do with writing, but dammit if it isn't annoying.

Also, I should apologise. I took an extra day to finish this up after I'd 'finished' it. I suppose it's best I did, since I tweaked a line or two, added in a line here and there to tighten up the story, make it flow a little more smoothly.

No major changes, really. Not much ranting either, it seems. Weird, huh?

Review Reply time!

James Birdsong- ... Beavis and Butthead? Ah, haven't seen them in a long time... Great, now I'm probably gonna go watch their movie. Curses! I'm out of rootbeer too!

swk3000- Ah. Ok, now that makes a lot of sense. Wish I could do that myself... I'd given up reading fanfics years ago, simply because I spent way too much time yelling at my monitor.

I don't watch horror movies for the same reason, heh.

Glad you liked th- eh? Oh, those. Yeah, ffdotnet had started eating them, I think I mentioned it back quite a few years ago in one of my old stories. If anyone could let me know what characters actually _won't_ be eaten up, I'd love to know.

That reminds me...

Pryde Kitty- Complaint number one; Each chapter is a minimum of six pages long, no matter what.

Complaint number two; ... Ok, that one was my bad...

Ok, all teasing aside, I'm glad you liked it. I don't actually stop writing until I'm satisfied that I've written out the chapter the way I wanted it to go (section-breaks aside, see below, and the previous reply). In all honesty, by the time I'm done, I'm always looking up at the clock, and seeing just how little time has gone by.

I kind of hit a zone, and well... I usually wind up drinking at least half a pot of coffee while I'm writing. Yeah, I know, it's not healthy at all. And JOKES ON YOU, HELLO KITTY IS AWSUMS!

Ahem... Yeah.

As kind of a guilty... Apology... Thing... For the confusion last chapter, allow me to present a little mini-guide to reading where, if ffdotnet HAD more functionality, I'd be giving every speaking character their own text color.

And I could actually change the font, too. Dangit.

For this chapter only, it seems... Some characters share lines as the scene changes.

First section break.

"What makes you think he's Him?" Mato.

Hild. "What?" Kevin.

"It is true, sir." Saber.

Second break.

Kevin. "God, I have a weird life." Kanna/Mato.

Saber. "W-what?" Peorth.

Honestly, I think it was a good idea... If only I was working in the comic/manga medium. Then I'd simply have panels where characters share the same word bubble.

Oh, hey now, that's an idea.

Someone remind me to find a decent artist, would you?

Anyway, um. Yeah.

Big build-up to the final reveal, wasn't it? Throwback line to the last story, if anyone can remember the 'It's a Wonderful Life' reference.

Well, it seems like there's only a chapter or so left... I'm not sure how I'm going to do it. Maybe I'll finish it in one go, or do an epilogue chapter as well.

Any opinion on that?

Anyway, at the very least, one more chapter.

Until next time.


End file.
